


Stranger Things - Dark Reflections

by HarryTrumanWilson



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, I Guess Sort've Crossover, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Mirror Universe, Multi, Post Season 2, Slow Burn, Some Relationships Are Mirror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-02-09 11:17:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 64,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18637060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryTrumanWilson/pseuds/HarryTrumanWilson
Summary: It’s summer of 1985, and the Mind-flayer has discovered a new way to reach out to Will, through portals stretching into another world, a mirror of our own. This mirror world is not the Upside Down, however. Instead, Will and his friends discover that this place contains dark and disturbing reflections of themselves…reflections that make them question everything.





	1. A Mirror…or a Window?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking out my story! I'm trying to get the whole thing in before the new Stranger Things season comes out in July. It's mostly written so, fingers crossed, but...anyway, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapters are pretty short, but change perspective each time, and I've got a lot to put out.
> 
> The relationship tags with the teenagers more apply to the mirror versions, who get a lot more explicit. None of the younger kids do anything explicit though.

**Part I: Monsters in a Mirror**

 

Chapter 1: A Mirror…or a Window?

_Will_

It started with blackness…pure darkness…then, in a flash of lighting, and Will could see it. The Mind-flayer, in its full, terrible form, towering over everything, every building, every tree. Its great grey-black, spider-like figure was far above Will’s vision, and yet, he felt as though he could see every detail, every puff of smoke and spore that floated around its terrible head, which turned to the boy. The thing let out a long, ominous roar, a sound that Will felt was an angry thing at first, but maybe …maybe it was in fact, a rumble of interest at the various…children, who had faced off with it. Had defeated it once before. The Mind-flayer turned its attention entirely to him, to Will, the one it once had, and Will felt a horrible mix of terror and anguish build in his chest. The boy drew back, and started to stumble away, but he was too close, too easy prey. And his legs…they wouldn’t move fast enough. The horrible creature raised a terrible appendage, a great, sharp leg of swirling spores and smoke, and stretched out for him. Will screamed with everything he had, put up his hands and hoped it would all be over and he would wake up before it was too late.

“No! No!” Will yelled, trying to push it way, trying to hide from what he knew was dream but was terrifying nonetheless. But, as the arm came down, it slammed into what seemed like a…window? It burst into its spores and smoke and spread out, covering the area, spreading out far in every direction around him, but the window did not give. No…it wasn’t a window…it wasn’t something Will nor the Mind-flayer could entirely see through. He could see himself in the pane just as clearly as the Mind-flayer, and when he reached up to touch it, he saw his own arm stroke it, and felt his fears abate as the Mind-flayer’s form struggled against the glass. It was…a _mirror._ It was then that Will noticed something strange about the Will in the glass, the Will the Mind-flayer’s spores were striking as it slammed against the glass. The boy was taller, his hair was shorter and up in a spike, like one of the rock stars Jonathan loved. Will could almost see that across his reflection's face, crossing over his right eye, was a long, jagged scar, partially healed but obviously a bad wound from the past. But, despite those differences, the reflections was his: his eyes, his face, his body, and every movement matched. Then…all at once, the glass of the mirror shattered and just as the spores were about to seize him…

Will sat up suddenly, screaming. It was only a few seconds before Jonathan, in a tight tee-shirt and pajama pants, came barreling into the room and grabbed Will by his arms.

“Will! Will, are you okay?” Will was frozen for a moment as his brother shook him, then he lowered his eyes and sighed.

“I…I…it was just a dream…” After a moment, his mother burst into the room in a long robe, with her hair frazzled and her eyes almost bloodshot.

“Will, honey! Are you okay? Will!” His mother snatched him from Jonathan and squeezed his arms.

“I’m fine Mom, I’m fine…” Will muttered, trying to push her overbearingness away. Jonathan took a step back, but his mother continued to grip him tightly.

“Will, you got to tell us if something is going on, okay. If the dreams…or moments in that place—the Upside-down—come back…”

“I didn’t dream about the Upside-down. I think…I think I just had a nightmare…” Will mother stared at him a moment, then pulled him in for a close hug. A nice, warm hug.

“I’m sorry Mom…” Will said, feeling like he was going to cry. Sure, he’d been through a lot, kidnapping and possession. But that didn’t mean he had to be such a baby all the time, whining and screaming every time lighting flashed or he thought he saw spores.

“Don’t be, sweetie. Don’t be…” Mom said, holding him tightly. 

“I’ll get you some water…” Jonathan muttered, going out toward the kitchen. Will held onto his mother for a while longer, then let her go and sighed.

“I need to go to the bathroom…” Will said, pulling himself from her and moving down the hallway to the restroom. He moved to the sink and leaned on the sides for a moment, then looked down the drain. Down where he’d spat up a cat-killing monster his friend Dustin had named “Dart.” It felt so long ago, and yet…it was just last fall when all that stuff had happened.

Afterward, life had gone back to its normal and boring way. At least, as normal as it could be. Jonathan and Nancy had been dating…though as far as the party could tell, the two of them were kind’ve on a break. Mike and El, meanwhile, seemed to have found true love, hanging out as often as possible, talking and holding hands, and kissing all the time. And Lucas spent an awful lot of time with Max, doing the same thing. Will thought he’d at least have Dustin, but Dustin spent so much time bugging Steve, who was trying desperately to get ready for his first year of college, that he always seemed busy too. And so…Will often felt left out. But at least life was boringly safe. He went to school, which had just ended about two weeks ago, played with his friends, avoided the bullies Troy and James, and went home. No demigorgons, no demidogs, and no Mind-flayer attacks, not real ones at least.

Sure, he had nightmares, where Will thought he heard the Mind-flayer calling to him, or reaching out to him. But if he stayed quiet, the creature generally moved on or lost interest in him, and Will was safe from being taken or possessed or killed. There were also nightmares like the one he just experienced, where the Mind-flayer may have been attacking him, but it was clearly a dream because nothing made sense. A mirror with a weird version of himself was holding the Mind-flayer back for a while? That was silly. Will laughed at the absurdity. Maybe he’d tell Mike about it, and Mike could put it in their next dungeons and dragons campaign. If they ever had another one…

Will sighed again, and ran his fingers through his bowl cut, then looked up at the mirror over his sink. And he saw it. Beyond his image, beyond the shower/bathtub behind him, the Mind-flayer was towering over Hawkins, and moving toward him.

 _My friend…don’t feel alone…_ Will heard this in his mind, and nearly screamed in terror again, then he shut his eyes and looked at the mirror again. The Mind-flayer was gone. It was just a hallucination…

“Will, I got your water…” Jonathan said, knocking on the door.

“Come in…” Will said. Jonathan stepped into the room slowly, holding out the drink. Will turned to take it, but Jonathan seemed to have frozen in place. Slowly, the glass slid from the older boy’s hand, dropped to the floor and smashed into a hundred pieces, all the while Jonathan’s wide eyes locked on the mirror behind him. Will watched the glass break, then looked up at Jonathan, who’s thrust an arm out and flung his brother behind him.

“Will! Run!” Jonathan yelled. Will turned back to the mirror to see the Mind-flayer was back in the mirror, now much closer and still approaching.

 _Let me make you feel, comfortable again. A bit cold…perhaps…but so…comfortable…._ The boy backed out of the bathroom as he heard this voice whisper to him, and was about to scream again. Then, Jonathan grabbed the bathroom trash-can and threw it with all his might at the mirror, breaking the glass and shattering the image of the Mind-flayer. It dissipated and left the two boys alone for a moment before their mother burst into the room, holding up a cocked pistol.

“God-dammit! What the hell’s going on in here?”

“Mom? When did you buy that?” Jonathan asked, now shielding Will from their armed mother.

“Dammit, Jonathan, tell me what made you break that mirror…”

“It wasn’t a nightmare…” Will said, pointing, “It’s found another way to Hawkins! It’s coming back for me!”


	2. Let's Try This

_Steve_

Steve pinched his forehead hard, sighed, then put the phone back to his ear.

“Mike, who gave you the authority to call emergency meetings? And why am I even still in your group for this? I’m not dating your sister anymore and I’m about to go to college…” Steve paused, listen to Mike respond, then clinched his teeth, “Yeah, Dustin has tried to hang out with me pretty much every day since mid-May, but that doesn’t mean…What? And if he is?” Steve turned to Dustin, who was sitting out on his patio in one of his lawn chairs, probably fast asleep. Steve had been trying to read the summer assignment from Indiana State, where he was headed in fall, while Dustin had tried really hard to distract him with a lot of stories, new video games and some spicy rumors he’d heard. Like that Nancy and Jonathan were on a break. Actually, Steve had talked to Dustin about that for a long time. Maybe…maybe Steve wasn’t over her, but it didn’t really matter. Anyway, after a while, Dustin had finally dozed off, and Steve finally had some time to get some reading done for the assignment. Then, about a page into the book, Mike had called.

“Mike, look, I’ll send you Dustin, but I need to get my reading done here. I got to get ready for college, man…” Steve grumbled, then he straightened up when Mike started again.

“The Mind-flayer can get back here to Hawkins? Well, why the hell didn’t you start with that, you idiot? Where are we meeting? In the dump? Why there? Did you ask Hopper about…Hopper doesn’t know, are you fucking crazy? No, we should not experiment with it first, we should…what?...god-dammit, fine, I’ll be there in a half-hour…” Steve looked down at his book and marked his page by dog-earring it, then hung up the phone. He groaned loudly, then moved out to his patio, where Dustin was snoring quietly in the lawn chair. Steve shook Dustin awake, and the boy nearly jumped up into a fighting stance.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“We gotta go. Apparently, the Mind-Flayer found Will. Again.” At this, Dustin was suddenly alert, and jumped to his feet to look Steve in the eye.

“Shit! Like, he’s already possessed again? Fuck Steve! Shit, shit, shit!” Dustin started pacing the patio, and was on the verge of pulling his hair out when Steve grabbed Dustin’s shoulders.

“Calm down, man! It’s not that serious, not yet at least. But apparently, he found Will in a mirror. And we’re…going to see if it can get him in any mirror or just certain ones…”

“Like an experiment? That sounds like a terrible idea…”

“That’s what I told Mike. But he said they were doing the experiment with or without us…”

“Shit! Then let’s go!” Dustin yelled, jumping to his feet. Steve rolled his eyes as Dustin started to gather his things, then went back to his room and grabbed a bandanna, goggles and his bat. His monster fighting bat, with nails in it. He’d been able to leave it in the closest for nearly half a year. But, as he well knew, nothing lasted forever, and good things were especially fragile. Like dating Nancy. It sounded like Jonathan was learning that lesson to. How would the three of them act, all of them together at the dump, with the munchkins? Probably like they used to, too busy protecting or fighting to worry about their shit storms of relationships.

“Steve, are we gonna go or what?” Dustin asked from the passenger’s seat. Somehow, Steve had got packed and into his car. Steve tried to shake away the thought of their love triangle and drive as quickly as he could out to the dump. It still took a while, the dump was really in the middle of nowhere, and by the time they got there, Mike, in what looked like full adventure gear, was standing next to the rundown old bus, talking to Lucas, also in his adventure gear and with a bandanna tied around his forehead, and Max, who was leaning on the side of the bus. And next to Mike was…that girl. The strange number who had magic powers and had killed a lot of people. On purpose. Steve tried to remind the others of that, but sometimes it seemed like he was the only one who cared.

As soon as Steve slowed his car down, Dustin jumped out and ran over to Mike and Lucas. Steve got out slower, and looked over the chatting munchkins for a few seconds and sighed.

“Thanks for coming man…” Steve turned to see Jonathan walking over to him. He seemed to be alone and Steve eyed him a moment before holding out a hand.

“No problem. I…well, I’m glad I can help protect these guys…” Jonathan reached out and took it. Steve eyed him a moment, then waved toward the younger boys, “They need at least some of us to watch over them…”

“I wish I could protect them better. Then, at least, you wouldn’t get hurt. None of them are your brothers or brother’s friends…”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about them…” Steve said, putting his bandanna on his shoulder and putting his hands on his hips. He felt a lot like a mother as he did this and quickly dropped his arms to his side.

“Well, I appreciate your help…you saved my brother’s friends lives more than once. And mine, when you took that bat to the Demigorgan…” Jonathan said. Steve nodded at him, but before he could thank Jonathan for saving his life that same night, Dustin started yelling at them.

“Alright, enough sad sapping, you two! You sound like old ladies!” Dustin yelled.

“Yeah, enough. Jonathan, where’s your brother?” Lucas asked.

“He’s with…”

“With me!" Steve turned and saw her. Nancy was in a beautiful, blue-green summer dress that stopped just below her knees, and she had Will standing with her. The boy, in another version of adventure gear, looked particularly terrified, and he moved pretty quickly from Nancy to Mike’s side, "I was holding my make-up mirror next to him. I thought it might be a way to safely see if its every mirror, or just a few..." Nancy said. Steve thought that sounded like a bad idea too, but said nothing as Will grabbed Mike’s arm tightly and put his head on the boy’s shoulder.

“I’m so scared, Mike…”

“Did you see it? Again I mean?” Lucas asked, crossing his arms. Lucas was clearly ready to solve this problem and move on, and Steve was too. Then again, Steve was also enjoying standing next to Jonathan, looking over the troubled kids like a group of little siblings that it was his job to protect. And he also was getting to give the occasional longing look to Nancy.

“Well, Will?” Lucas pressed. Will looked down at his hands, then shrugged.

“No…I haven’t seen it again…in any mirror...” Will answered.

“Okay, well, we’ve got more to test on…” Mike offered, give Will a rub on the arm.

“Wait, where is your Mom, Will?” Max asked, pointing to him, “How could she have possibly let you out of her sight?” the tough, spunky redhead was probably not trying to be mean, but it came out a little harshly anyway. Before Will could answer, Nancy stepped past him and went to stand with Jonathan and Steve… _right between them._

“We’re watching him, us “adults,” while she goes and finds Hopper,” Nancy countered.

“You might not have heard, Steve. He went on a drinking binge in Wisconsin and was hunting for Dr. Brenner somewhere up there…” Jonathan said. He glanced at Eleven, who nodded in agreement.

“Also, we're not going to do anything really dangerous, right?” Nancy said. Steve looked at her, then at Jonathan beyond, who looked equally uncomfortable. Mike scoffed at his sister's implied warning, but Will nodded.

“Right…nothing dangerous…” Will confirmed. Steve turned, to look away from the group, wiping sweat from his face. It was a pretty hot day, and he hadn’t stood this close to Nancy in a long time. And now…she didn’t have a boyfriend. Sort’ve. Steve wished he'd spent time to put some more deodorant on. Or maybe a new shirt. 

“With El, Will’s perfectly safe here, anyway…” Mike said, glancing at El and grabbing her hand. Will looked up at her for a moment, then took Mike’s other hand. Lucas looked them over, then pulled Max with him by the arm, and the two of them grabbed a big, round mirror from the side of the bus and set it up in front of Will. Steve noted, however, that the bottom of the mirror had several cracks stretching out from a sharp break and shook his head.

“Let’s try this…” Mike said.

“I doubt that will work…it’s broken…” Steve said. Nancy and Jonathan both turned to him with eyebrows raised.

“What do you know about this?” Nancy asked.

“I know what fairy tales say, and broken magic mirrors aren’t usually much use…” Steve said, then pointed to what appeared to be another mirror resting in the shadow of a damaged car a short distance from Jonathan, “That’s probably a better bet…”

“Why?” Jonathan asked, glancing closer at it.

“It just…looks more like a magic mirror than…well…I don’t know, you’re right. I have no idea what I’m talking about…” Steve said, throwing his hands up. He turned from that mirror and watched the rest of the party. Will stared into the big, cracked mirror for a few moments, and put his hand on it slowly before shrugging.

“I don’t see anything Mike. Besides, Jonathan could see it to, so…”

“That’s alright, we got a few more. Lucas, Dustin, let’s go grab that big square one there. Max, why don’t you grab the one near Jonathan there…” Mike ordered. Max rolled her eyes in response and started walking toward the three older teens then stopped.

“Where’s the mirror?” Max asked.

“What are you talking about, it’s…” Steve turned but only saw shadow next to the car. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the fact that the mirror was no longer reflecting the day, but instead seemed almost like a window into a smoky darkness.

“Uh…guys…” Nancy said, then her mouth kept moving, struggling to form more words. Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Max, and El rushed over next to Jonathan and Steve and they all stared at the now black mirror. To his amazement, and horror, the thing started to move slightly and he heard a faint creaking sound. It was as if something was…trying to push in a window. But, Steve knew that wasn’t possible. The Mind-flayer had special powers, sure, but this was just a trick, probably to scare them shitless and make them do something stupid and…

“No! No!” El screamed suddenly, flinging her hands up. There was a more dramatic rumbling and creaking, then, all at once, Steve’s sense of reality fell apart. It seemed then as if the glass of the mirror shattered outward and smoke burst through first, followed by long, spindly black vines that wriggled and jerked like tentacles. One flung out from the mirror and slammed hard into El’s chest before she could even raise a hand, sending her flying back out of the dump into the nearby woods. Another smacked across Steve’s face, and threw him into the shell of a Ford Pinto. His head met the metal hard, and he stumbled back and fell down to his backside. His vision cleared just in time to see the vines flapping and striking those standing around him. Dustin was flipped completely and Lucas was thrown into Mike. Max dodged one swipe only to get a whack on her back that flattened her on the hard earth. Steve was terrified when a vine thrust out for Will, but it struck the boy in the crotch and had him doubled over and tearing up but did not grab him. Instead, the vines suddenly consolidated around the legs and arms of Jonathan.

“Wha…what! No! Stop!” Steve struggled, trying to reach out, “Byers!”

“Jonathan!” Nancy cried, grabbing his arm and receiving a vine to the face for it.

“Nancy!” Jonathan yelled as he was being pulled away from the group.

“Dammit, Byers, no!” Steve called, but got another smack from a vine that threw him back into the Pinto. Steve thought he might pass out from that hit and barely heard Jonathan’s cries as he was dragged away.

“Nancy…Nancy, Steve, Will!” Jonathan struggled with all his might but was suddenly dragged into the mirror and then…it was all gone. The mirror seemed to not have ever broken. It was just a regular, round mirror, and when Nancy slammed her hand onto its surface, the only response was her reflection.

“Byers…” Steve muttered.

“Jonathan!” Will called, running to the mirror and pushing his hands on it. It didn’t give way, nor revealed anything.

“Jonathan…no…” Nancy whispered, sliding her fingers down the mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and the comments and kudos! I hope you enjoy!


	3. The Other Side

_Jonathan_

As the glass seemed to shatter around him, and Jonathan was pulled into the pure darkness beyond the mirror, the boy thought he would be afraid. Or furious. Or maybe ready to face the end, to die as a sacrifice to the Mind-flayer. But he wasn’t any of that. As he was being dragged down through utter blackness, the only thing he really felt was relief that Will wasn’t suffering this. Will had been through too much, gazed upon or seized too often. Finally, it had grabbed the right brother, the sad, weird pervert who nobody would miss. He was actually okay with this…

Something started to pound in his head, then it consolidated to a sound, then words. But, Jonathan couldn’t understand the words meaning. They were maybe another language, but to him, they just sounded like nonsense. Except Jonathan didn’t really hear anything because the nonsense was in his head…

“Is…the…Mind-flayer trying to talk to me?” Jonathan asked. Though, who was he asking that to? He was being pulled through what was literal blackness, probably to some endless abyss. Then, he’d face the Upside-down. Where he’d probably die of poisoning if he wasn’t immediately up torn to pieces by a Demigorgon or something worse…

The voice started to raise in volume, but that didn’t make the words more clear. Jonathan tried to make sense of it, but the sounds weren’t becoming anything. The voice seemed to be getting almost frantic, maybe even confused. And this was making Jonathan confused.

“Am I supposed to understand you?” Jonathan asked. The voice belched a phrase Jonathan might have guessed was affirmation, but before he could question further, he felt himself being pulled through another…window. Or mirror, or portal. He didn’t know. But he heard the creaking, then the burst of glass as he was dragged out. As the glass returned back to the mirror, Jonathan suddenly took in his surroundings and saw…he was back in the dump. Right where he’d left. Well, not right there, the mirror was in a different place. And it seemed like the cars in the dump were slightly different, perhaps…sharper, and hardier. It was probably later too, as the sky seemed dimmer, like dusk was settling in. But otherwise, everything seemed the same.

Jonathan got another long look around him before the vines pulled him hard and started dragging him toward the bus. He tried to make sense of why the bus might look so different when there was the sound of an enormous explosion, and the vines that had been gripping him burst in a flash of light. He felt the pressure off him, and turned and threw the now ripped and burned remains of the vines away. He was safe and free. And the girl who was holding the weapon that blast had come from was definitely the Nancy he knew and loved. Even if they were on a break, he still loved her entirely. And she had saved him. Jonathan smiled and started toward her, then saw that some of the others standing with her. El was near her, watching the vines and holding up her hands, probably to keep them back. And Steve was standing nearby, tapping his fingers on his bat and with a big gun strapped on his back. When had Steve got that? It didn’t matter, they had saved him. Jonathan considered the handsomeness of Steve too, for just a moment, before holding out a hand.

“Thanks guys…you really saved me…” Jonathan said. And as they turned to look at him, he noticed how off everything was. He recognized it in Nancy first:her hair was long, much longer than Jonathan remembered it, and it very straight. She was wearing a tight, short red top that revealed a strip of her belly. Her jeans were incredibly tight, so much that they seemed almost painted on. But, his confused gaze locked onto Nancy’s face, where a long, deep scar went from above her eyebrow to her cheek.

“Nancy…wha…what happened to you?” Jonathan asked. He then noticed the differences in the much smaller El, who had on a long white dress and had a mostly shaved head, with only a thin strip of hair. The girl’s face had no scar and looked normal, but she did not look up at Jonathan, instead keeping her eyes downward. Finally, Jonathan's eyes moved to Steve, and it was clear these were not the same people he had left. Steve’s face had an even larger scar, one that started near his thick, slick, black hair, and traced straight down through his eye and ended at his chin. He was wearing what look liked black leather military style jacket and pants, but the jacket was open down the center, and he didn’t seem to have anything on underneath, as Jonathan could see a long strip of Steve’s upper body, including a small line of black hair which led down to a bulge against his tight leather pants. While Nancy and El’s faces remained emotionless, Steve smirked slightly as he looked over Jonathan.

“My, my…So…soft…almost…delicate…” this Steve said sensually, licking his lips. Jonathan had never heard that tone from Steve before, and thought briefly of the idea of running his fingers down the exposed strip of Steve’s chest before he remember this actually couldn’t be Steve.

“That wasn’t who we wanted…” Nancy said, a cold edge in her voice Jonathan hadn’t ever heard either. The boy started to back away from the strange copies of his friends, starting to feel terror growing in his chest.

“He’s scared. Seems just like ours…” That Steve said, tapping his fingers on his bat.

“We need their Will and their Mike. Why would the Mind-flayer grab him?” Nancy asked. Steve glanced at her, then back at Jonathan.

“Because the Mind-flayer hoped to capture a Jonathan…perhaps we’ll need to try a different angle to acquire those we…desire…” Steve considered, again glancing up and down Jonathan. This Steve was actually attracted to Jonathan, and he wasn’t trying to hide it. In the past, Jonathan had conjured a few dark thoughts about him and Steve or him, Steve and Nancy, but this was one he never thought he’d actually get to witness. Steve wanting him…or…

“Our Jonathan?” Jonathan muttered, “Does that mean…there’s an evil copy of…” He trailed off as Nancy looked over the boy, then the girl suddenly smirked at that Steve.

“Wait, I’ve got an idea. We can use this Jonathan to bring who we want. Perhaps even summon a few more, just in case. We’ll take this Jonathan hostage. Eight, can you still reach their version of you?”

“Yes, mistress…” Eight murmured. Jonathan glanced around, terror and confusion mixing into a basic survival instinct to run.

“I…this...this is not where I’m supposed to be…I’ll…go…”

“Stun him…” Steve ordered. Nancy drew a side arm and Jonathan turned only to slam headlong into…himself. A version of himself. A version of himself...from a mirror world. Mirror Jonathan was in a small vest that left his arms and some of his chest exposed and tight black pants that seemed to match Steve’s. This copy of himself seemed afraid, even more afraid than Jonathan was, almost cowering. His right eye was marked too, but unlike Nancy or Steve, his scar was small and was mostly healed. Further, that Jonathan’s hair was in a bowl cut, just like he would have expected on Will.

“What…what?” Jonathan questioned, trying to come to grips with what was happening, then felt a blast of electricity on his back, and suddenly, his vision was black.


	4. Two-way Mirror

_Eleven/Jane_

“Jonathan…” Nancy muttered, still touching the mirror, “Jonathan, no…”

“Nance…Nance…we should get back…just in case…” Steve said.

“He went in a mirror guys! And those vines kicked our butts…” Dustin exclaimed.

“The Mind-flayer opened the mirror…portal…thing. Could we even do that? Could we even get to him?” Lucas asked.

“Get to him so we can what? Get our asses handed to us again?” Max countered.

“No, I’m not giving up…” Mike said.

“He’s right! There has to be a way!” Will added angrily. Or, El assumed it was angrily, as she was hearing this partly in her mind and partly through the air as she floated back toward where the group was around the mirror. She understood what was at stake, but, she couldn’t concentrate very well on what they were saying because, amid the vines attacking them, she had felt a something through the mirror. A source of strength and abilities, like her. It was almost like a shock of electricity that struck her as the glass had broken. She had not felt that, felt any similar type of raw power, since she had meet her sister in Chicago. And that source of power had reached out and spoken to her.

 _“I’m like you…”_ that was it. That was all it had said. And yet, that was all El needed to know.

“Sister…” El whispered as she floated back to her friends and Mike.

“El, are you okay?” Mike asked, moving to her quickly and grabbing her arms. She let his hands trace along her and felt his warmth against her. She let her eyes close and sensed his incredibly kind and open heart. El often felt safer with Mike just next to her. And now, she felt that same safety and confidence as she pointed up at the mirror.

“I can find him…” El said.

“You can?” Will asked, turning and rushing toward her. El glanced over him, the poor, desperate boy she’d rescued, who was now hoping for her help again. This time, though, he might get to do the rescuing.

“How? How, Eleven?” Nancy demanded. El looked up at the tall, kind girl who had given her so much. Nancy looked as desperate as Will, and El hoped she could help repay the older girl by bringing Jonathan back to her.

“Can you open the mirror again?” Steve asked, touching it. El looked to him. She didn’t really know him, but his heart was good too. She had sensed that. She had also sensed that this Steve didn’t trust or probably like her at all.

“Yes. I think so. And I can find Jonathan…if I can talk to my sister…” El said, turning to the mirror. The group glanced between her and the mirror, and El could begin to sense their feelings. Anger from Steve, fear from Will, desperation from Nancy, genuine concern from Lucas and Dustin, confusion from Max, and hope swelling between all of them. And Mike, his love for her was rising too. All of it was making a lot of noise in her mind, and it was too much of a distraction. El dropped her hand and lowered her head.

“I can’t hear…it’s too loud…” El whispered. Mike reached out slowly and stroked her shoulder, then looked back at the group.

“We need to make a sensory deprivation pool again. We need to take away the other sounds…”

“Where are we going to make it?” Dustin asked.

“Should we wait for Hopper so that he can get some keys and open like the school or the lab?” Lucas asked. Will pushed him back in a surprisingly aggressive action from the normally quiet boy.

“We can’t wait for that! Jonathan has been taken! He could be tortured or have one of those horrible roots implanted in him, or even torn apart if we don’t hurry!” Will yelled.

“Will…” Nancy said, leaning over and putting a hand on his shoulder. El sensed a new feeling coming from Nancy, something she searched for words to describe. _Reassuring…_

“We’re not going to leave him, Will. We’re going to…”

“My place. Let’s set it up at my place,” Steve interrupted. The group turned to him, and Steve shrugged, “My parents aren’t home, and I think we might have enough stuff to make it, if I remember correctly what Nancy and Dustin told me…” There was a long moment of silence, then Will moved to Steve and hugged him tightly. Steve stared down at the boy, then patted him on the back.

“Thank you, Steve…” Will muttered into Steve’s shirt.

“You’re welcome…” Steve offered. El felt the kindness and warmth coming from the two, and felt happiness closing out everything else. And then, she heard her again. Her sister…

_“Listen for me…quiet everything else…and reach for me again…Eleven…”_

El held these words and this thought in her mind as their group moved to Steve’s house and began to prepare the sensory depravation device. Once they’d arrived, Steve, Lucas and Mike immediately started setting up a round, purple kiddie pool out on his patio and, with a great deal of huffing and straining, they filled the pool with salt and water. Dustin, meanwhile, directed them based on instructions he was getting from the party's former science teacher, Mr. Clarke. Finally, Nancy and Max had gone out to get things for El, a watertight suit and face mask, ear plugs. And El, El was standing by the mirror, trying to hear her sister again as she stared into the mirror sitting out on the patio.

 _“Sister…sister where are you?”_ El reached out, but there was no response. She’d need more power. And less of Mike and Steve’s grunting and Dustin’s cursing.

“Dammit, we’ve got to get more of this shitty salt in here!” Dustin demanded. Steve flung the bag he was hauling down and growled at Dustin.

“You’re going to use up all my shitty salt! How much do we have to put in here? This is a fucking kiddie pool!” Steve yelled, ripping open the top of the bag and pouring it into the water. Mike pulled his hand and the flowing hose he was holding out of the way of Steve’s disgruntled flinging.

“Watch out!”

“You watch out! Unless you want to haul salt bags!”

“Why do you even have a kiddie pool? You have a real pool right there!” Mike asked. Steve glared at him in response.

“You can float on the kiddie pool on the real pool! I figured that out when I was…a little younger than you. And I pretty much got what I wanted…” Steve grumbled, then flung more salt into the kiddie pool. Dustin pushed past Mike and put some small metal device into the water. El glanced at him to see his face screw up with confusion, then apparently the device said what he wanted, as he took it out and yelled.

“That’s good! Lucas, shut it off!”

“What?” Lucas called from the side of Steve’s home, where the hose was connected to a source of water. El didn’t remember the word for it, and tried to think for a moment, but Dustin was already cursing again.

“Motherfucker, Lucas, turn off the god-damned spigot!”

“Dammit, Dustin, calm down! It’s off!” Lucas came from around the house and stood back with Dustin, Mike and Steve.

“It’s ready…finally…now we just need…” before Dustin could finish, they all turned to the sound of Steve’s front door opening, and El sensed Max and Nancy had returned. They came through his main room and kitchen, carrying the equipment in small bag.

“Here, this fit me, so it should fit you…” Max said, going straight for El. She pulled the wet-suit out of the bag and held it up. It was a grey, sleek looking one piece, and she looked over the suit, then back at Max. El remembered the jealousy and distrust that she had felt she first saw the red-headed girl talking to Mike. Now, though, El felt admiration for the girl’s toughness and spunk, and she sensed a reciprocal respect from her.

With Max and Nancy’s help, El changed into the wet-suit, then returned to the pool where the boys were waiting. El glanced at Mike and touched his hand gently, then got into the pool and laid back. Nancy put the ear plugs gently in place and covered her eyes with the mask, and immediately, she could hear the voice.

 _“Eleven…”_ An image slowly formed in her head, a small, thin girl, with a shaved head. El sensed that she was now in a telepathic plane, where she could hone-in and connect with those she reached out to. And, in this case, it was her sister who was approaching her. A sister who looked very similar to what she’d looked like when she was still being experimented on.

 _“Sister…help me. Help me find my friend…Jonathan…”_ El asked, trying to reach out. The hazy image of the other girl raised a hand, then lowered it and shook her head.

“ _No._ _The mirror…we need the mirror…”_ El opened her eyes to the blackness, then raised the mask and sat up in the salty water.

“Bring it! Bring it!”

“Bring what?” Mike asked. El jerked from him, directing the commands mainly toward the strong and powerful Steve.

“The mirror, I need to reach to it! The mirror!” El demanded loudly. The others looked at each other for a moment, then Steve rolled his eyes and moved toward the mirror. Mike was by him in a moment, and the two moved to hold the mirror up in front of her.

“Here!” Mike offered.

“Sit it up, you two!” Nancy said, grabbing one of the patio chairs and with Steve and Mike leaned it up against the chair back and faced toward the kiddie pool. El looked over the mirror, then leaned back into the water and held up a hand. And El suddenly felt very confident. This was what they had to do. Her sister would help them. She would be kind and helpful…she had to be…

 _“Sister…”_ The hazy image reappeared but started to clear up after a few moments.

 _“You’ve done it…”_ the other girl said. El smiled, and reached out further, and the image was suddenly completely visible. Then, El’s excitement and trust collapsed into horror. The girl in front of her…was her.

 _“Sis…sister?”_ El questioned. But she knew it wasn’t right.

_“No…I am not…your…our…sister…”_

_“You’re…me,”_ El stretched further, trying to understand. Then, El sensed something terrible. A darkness, a hate, which was at the core of this girl’s heart. Her true sister, Kali, had a dark hate in her… but this was something worse…as if the hate made up the core of her being. This girl was…

_“E…evil…”_

_“Weakness…”_ the other girl said, _“…a weak Eight…”_

_“What is eight?”_

_“Eight is me…and you”_

_“Eight is Kali…Eleven is me…”_

_“Then…Eight is Kali in your world…Eleven is Kali in mine…”_ El tried to understand as she looked at this girl, at the version of herself. Soon, El sensed an even greater darkness coming from somewhere near this girl’s. Something that was perhaps purely evil. The creature of the other side…the…the…

_Mind-flayer._

_“No…no!”_ El cried out. She tried to leave the telepathic plane, but as she started to step away, Eight, as the other version had called herself, thrust a hand out.

 _“Silence…”_ El felt her neck gripped, and she could neither talk nor even think thoughts anymore. She moved one hand up to grab at her throat, but her other hand seemed bound to the mirror. Her power was being used by this other girl, and she felt the mirror being transformed into a portal. And a thunderous, violent sound was ringing out from the glass and making El’s whole body shake. She tried to scream again, then again, then again, and finally, the grip was broken, and El sat up and ripped her mask off.

“No! No!”

“El?” Mike turned toward her, when the mirror’s glass behind him darkened suddenly. They only had time for El to scream _No_ one last time before the glass burst, and the black vines again shot out, smacking, knocking and uprooting, sending Steve, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin and Max to the ground. El thrust out her hand out, and with her power, a few vines out of her way, but one came from her left, stuck her in the head and sent her back into the water. After a moment, El sat up again, she saw the vines wrap around Mike, who looked back and forth in confusion.

“What? Why?”

“Mike!” Nancy called, trying to stand up and move toward him and taking another vine whip to her gut.

“Mike! No!” Will rushed to Mike and grabbed onto the vines surrounding him, but they didn’t give as he pulled on them.

“Will, Will, listen to me. I need to tell you something…Will, you’re one of my best friends, and I...I’ve always felt different about you. But Will, you survived everything that happened, and you need to keep surviving! Don't worry about me...Let me..." Mike hestitated, then looked at El, sat up just long enough to see him smile slightly, "El...I'm sorry...” Mike suddenly dragged back, and Will lost his grip and fell.  

“Mike!” Will cried, slamming onto the hard concrete of Steve's patio.

“Will! El!” Mike reached out again, but, the boy was pulled into the mirror, and gone. But not completely. Before the glass could fix, El, now screaming with all her might, thrust out her hands. Her power burst through the portal, she reached out to Mike’s warmth. As if grabbing for him, she groped around the darkness for a few moments before she sensed the light of his heart. She closed her hand, and her power wrapped around Mike, then pulled him back as hard as he could. El held on to him, sensing the mirror portal was remaining open as she stretched out into it.

 _“If you want to save Jonathan and Mike, send the others after them…”_ El heard Eight’s voice, and gritted her teeth.

_“Send them…or Mike will die…”_

“Mike…” El whispered, then frowned, feeling fury rising in her and pulling Mike even harder, “I hate you, Eight!” El yelled, then slowly, turned her head to look at Nancy. The older girl was standing next to the mirror and gently reaching out toward the portal. It was only then that El noticed that the mirror was causing some sort of strange wind to blow around the patio and that El had started levitating due to her exertion of power. 

“Go! Please! Get Mike!” El struggled out to Nancy, who glanced up at her.

“What? What are you talking about?” Nancy asked. El shook her head slowly.

“Please, go!” Nancy looked up at El, then hurriedly grabbed a gun and her small bag.

“Nancy! What are you doing?” Steve asked. Nancy, however, started toward the portal and in a moment, El sensed she was through and cascading toward Mike.

“Nancy! Nancy!” Steve called. He grabbed his bat, bandana and googles, then dived into the mirror too, and was gone. El slowly turned to Will, who was biting his lip in terror.

“Will…please…” Will looked up at her, then balled his fists, grabbed his adventure backpack and jumped into the portal. Lucas and Dustin looked at each other, then at Max. Lucas grabbed Max and kissed her hard, then rushed to the portal and jumped through. Dustin nodded to Max, and followed, then, El felt her grip started to slip. Max looked up at El, then was moving toward the portal when she was flung back, crashing back into the water. The portal was closed by glass moving back into place and soon, the two of them were left  with nothing but a half-empty sensory deprivation pool, a soaked, salty patio and a slightly smudged mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and for kudos and comments! Sorry this chapter is kind've long, but it's got good stuff. And next chapter, I promise, we're all gonna go...to the mirror universe...


	5. Into the Mirror World

_Lucas_

Lucas at first experienced something like what he imagined would be the emptiness of space. There was no sound, no light, and no gravity. For a moment, Lucas considered that he might have died, or maybe his soul or consciousness had been lost somewhere. This idea started to cause him to panic, that is, before he heard Dustin giggling.

“This is crazy…we’re floating…whoa…what I said made noise…”

“Can you seem me?” Lucas asked, turned back to Dustin, who seemed to be illuminated by…himself. He was his own light, and as Lucas turned back, he could roughly see the outline of Will ahead of him.

“Will! Will we’re behind you…”

“Lucas, Dustin? Are we dead?”

“I…don’t think so…”

“Guys! Hurry up! We’ve found Mike!” Lucas heard called from far ahead of him. It was a distorted version of Steve’s voice, and Lucas tried to reach out and move forward and found himself speeding past Will and soon he slammed headlong into Steve.

“Watch out!” Steve called as two started spiraling away from each other. Steve thrust out a arm, and soon straightened himself and floated toward the nearest vine. A vine that was wrapped around Mike’s leg. After up righting himself, Lucas could see Nancy was also holding onto one of the vines. Steve and Nancy tried to pull Mike free from the vines with a few exertions, but they did not give. Mike, who was himself illuminated but partially blocked by the pitch-black vines, turned to Lucas and frowned.

“Why did you come? We’ll all be trapped in the Upside-down.”

“I don’t think we’re going to the Upside-down…” Nancy said. Lucas then saw that Will had speed forward and grabbed Mike between his vines.

“Mike…”

“Will…you’re here too…”

“I wanted to help you…I…I want to help you…and be with you…” Will said with a small smile. Mike smiled back at him, and tried to reach a hand to grab Will’s.

“Will…” Mike muttered. but as they were having this moment, Dustin came barreling through the darkness and slammed into Will, pushing him hard into Mike. Lucas rolled his eyes as Dustin grabbed onto Mike and started tugging on the vines.

“Ow! Dustin, be careful!”

“Stop!” Nancy ordered, knocking Dustin’s hand away, “We’re not going to be able to deal with this until we get to wherever we’re going…”

“Which…” Steve started, looking around Mike, “It seems like that might be soon…”

“Oh shit!” Lucas yelled, then propelled himself forward by with a few flaps of his arms and grabbed onto Steve’s leg. Steve glanced back at him, then turned forward and seemed to clinch up in preparation. Lucas tried to watch as the darkness suddenly became a bright light, and the group burst through another portal. It first seemed like the darkness suddenly became numerous waves of light bouncing off of numerous pieces of glass shards, then Lucas was tumbling and crashed through the leaves and grass of woods. He heard Dustin, Steve, Will and Nancy tumble and crash in the same way on top of each other and him, and soon enough they were heaped in a pile. Lucas pulled himself up, pushed Dustin off, and looked around those woods. It was dim, like it was almost dusk, but he could not recognize anything. Wherever they were, it wasn’t…wait...maybe...

“What the fuck?” Steve yelled. Lucas turned to him, then saw Steve’s confusion. Because as he turned around, he could see Steve’s house. Pretty much. There was a much smaller patio, a limited shed, no pool, and the house’s color was darker, almost black. But, Lucas could see that this was clearly his house. Or…some version of it.

“What the fuck? This…this can’t be! Where’s my shit?”

“Where the hell are we?” Lucas asked looking around him and trying to understand. But it wasn’t making any sense.

“Steve!” Nancy said, jumping to her feet suddenly, “Where’s Mike?” Steve turned from the home and looked out in the wooded area behind the house. Lucas followed his gaze, but he couldn’t see anything, not until he heard a yell from deeper in.

“Mike!” Will called, rushing into the woods. Nancy started chasing him, followed by Dustin trying to hold up the compass he'd brought with him. Lucas and Steve looked at each other, and Steve pointed at the house.

“We’ve got to figure this shit out. Once we get Mike…”

“Agreed…” Lucas said, “Now, let’s go!” Lucas started running into the woods, loading up his rock firing wrist-rocket and preparing for battle. However, Steve beat him stride for stride, and soon enough he was far ahead, holding his bat high and ready for combat. As they raced through the trees and tall grasses, however, they quickly found that wherever they were, it wasn’t as well manicured as Hawkins, and they were tripping or getting caught over shrubs and overgrowth. Eventually, Lucas trudged through enough vegetation to find Mike, gripping a large branch, screaming, and being tugged by the vines still wrapped around his legs and body. He was being pulled hard, but he was also putting everything into holding onto the branch based on how it was creaking and bending. It wouldn’t last long, but Mike was at least delaying the vines with his tight hold.

Will, who had taken the lead, jumped toward the nearest vine and started pulling with it all his might. It did not budge to the young boy, but a few well placed shots from Nancy’s gun caused a few vines extensions to shrivel back, and Steve nearly broke Mike free once he started striking the vines with his bat. Just before Steve could get the final hit in to get Mike lose, there was a roar, and a demidog jumped out from the brush and landed on a nearby fallen tree, opening its five-part mouth with a low growl. Steve turned to it, twirling his bat, then jumped back as another appeared. Nancy raised her gun, and Lucas his wrist-rocket, but, before any of them could act again, a large low beam of light sliced through the vines directly behind Mike and caused the boy and the evil plants to collapse into a heap. The two dogs turned toward the source of the beam, but one was held into the air, then zapped in half by the same beam, then, when the other began to retreat, it too was pulled into the air, but this one was instead crushed into an increasingly small ball until there was nothing left but the small spores they’d all come to associate with the Mindflayer. Lucas witnessed this, frozen in shock, and starting to become afraid of whatever this world was. Lucas turned slowly away from the defeated creatures to the source of the beam. And what he found was Nancy.

This Nancy wasn’t like the Nancy standing behind him though. This Nancy had long, perfectly straight hair, with bangs going down to the front of her shoulders and down to almost the middle of her back. She wore tight clothes, what looked like leather pants and a thin white top that stretched against her considerable breasts and revealed a clear strip of belly. She was armed with what appeared to be a very large gun, likely the source of that laser. And splitting the right side of her face was a long, grisly scar that gave Lucas a creepy feeling.

“Nancy?” Steve asked. Lucas looked at him, then both turned to look at their Nancy. She was till there, in her jean jacket, lose fitting shirt and jeans, standing behind them, looking even more confused.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Nancy asked.

“If it was, less people would be dead…” the other Nancy said, stepping forward and pulling Mike to his feet. She held on to his arm for a long time and moved some of his hair out of his face with the barrel of her weapon, then roughly shoved him toward his friends. Lucas noticed then that this Nancy had a small girl with a shaved head and long white dress standing near her, her gaze focused down toward the ground. When Lucas tried to look at her face, his worst suspicions were proved true.

“El…” Lucas said. Mike turned and moved toward her, but the other Nancy held up the gun and frowned.

“Back up. This isn’t your Eight. In this world, she’s bound to me…”

“Bound…” Mike asked, “What do you mean?”

“Like…a slave?” Lucas asked. Nancy eyed him then sighed.

“In a sense. My orders are absolute for her. She must answer or suffer a mental and physical breakdown. That’s how Dr. Brenner made her. He bound all the numbers to him and was building quite a little army here…probably had ambitions to overthrow High Governor Orr…that was, until Eleven, also called Kali, ripped a hole in our dimension and let that thing through…” Nancy signaled behind her with her gun.

“Ripped and hole and let that…” Will repeated, then whispered, “The Mindflayer.” Most of the rest of the group looked terrified of confused. But after a few moments more of staring at the other Nancy, Lucas suddenly understood.

“This…this is a mirror universe!” Lucas turned to Mike and shook him roughly, “Mike, don’t you remember that Star Trek episode? The one where Kirk and Uhura and some of the others were beamed into another universe! Where there were evil or dark versions of themselves…” Mike glanced at Lucas, then at the armed Nancy, then at his sister and gripped Lucas's arms too.

“We’re in the Mirror Universe!” Mike yelled. He glanced at Dustin and Will, who’s eyes both grew wide with a mix of terror and excitement.

“We’re in the Mirror Universe!” they said together. The four boys started babbling in amazement, which seemed to really piss off the other Nancy.

“Enough!” that Nancy yelled, cocking her weapon loudly and causing Lucas and Dustin to cower behind Steve, “Drop your weapons.”

“Weapons…” Steve started. The other Nancy rolled her eyes and fired a blast into the tree behind Steve, causing all the group to cower.

“The fucking bat, Steve! And your gun, I know you have one…because you’re me…” that Nancy yelled. Their Nancy looked the other woman over, then flung her pistol at her mirror version. Steve hesitated just a moment before dropping his bat and kicking it away. The “mirror” Nancy looked at her version of El and gritted her teeth.

“If any of them start to wander away or run off, crush their windpipe. If you can’t reach them…” Nancy looked back at the group and pointed at Mike, “Strangle him, that should set off most this group. Especially their Will, their Lucas and my counterpart…”

“What?” Mike said, grabbing his throat.

“Do I need to give a demonstration?” Nancy asked, coldly. Mike shook his head and moved back behind Steve, who looked the least terrified of any of their group.

“Follow me…” Nancy ordered, moving through the group back in the direction of Steve’s house.

“Follow you where?” Steve asked as she passed. She glanced at him briefly, then kept walking.

“To meet our town lord. And see your version of Jonathan…”

“Jonathan!” Nancy said, moving quickly behind her mirror version.

“Byers! Come on, let’s go!” Steve ordered, pushing the boys in front of him. The other Nancy only huffed but kept walking. Eight moved quickly to keep up with her, sometimes levitating for a few moments, before dropping back to the ground and taking quick steps to match her long strides. The group from their world struggled to keep up with the mirror versions’ quick steps, but Lucas couldn’t think about anything but how exciting this was. They were in the Mirror Universe. That meant there was a mirror version of himself. Would it be a really mean and tough copy of himself? Or would he be really smart and have a thick beard, like Spock? And how would the other mirror versions look? Would Mike be even stronger and braver? Would Dustin be even quicker or sillier? Would Will still be soft and kind…or something darker?

“Get in!” Mirror Nancy ordered. Lucas only then noticed that they had come to a set of Humvees, big, black trucks with huge tires and glass that looked awfully thick. Lucas also definitely saw some sort of heavy weapon in the trunk of the vehicle but tried not to think about. The first was driven by some man Lucas didn’t recognize, and Nancy, Mike and Will got into the back of this Humvee with Mirror Nancy. However, as Steve led Lucas and Dustin to the second Humvee, their mouths dropped at seeing Billy sitting in the driver’s seat. This version of Billy had dark brown hair, and it was in a tight pony tail, and he had a set of three scars across his right eye and a goatee coming off his chin. But Lucas recognized his face, eyes and upper body, which was mostly visible through the open and thin vest he wore.

“Hargrove?” Steve questioned. Billy glanced at him and grumbled.

“Your face looks so wrong…” this version of Billy said, “Like a weakling…get in, sir…” Steve glanced at Lucas, then at Dustin, who looked at the car and world around him for a moment more before raising his arms in anger.

“What the f...”


	6. Strangers with the Same Faces

_Dustin_

“Fuck! What the fuck is happening, Lucas?” Dustin started to feel panic rising. He was about to get in a car with an evil version of Billy. Because evil Nancy told evil El to choke Mike if he didn’t. This was turning into a messy shitstorm, and he didn’t know what to do anymore. Other than try to hold in his screams.

“Get in the car! Let’s go!” Mirror Nancy yelled from the first car, leaning out of the window and holding up the beam gun…the _evil_ beam gun. Dustin whimpered a moment more, then clambered into back of the Humvee as quickly as he could. Lucas followed, moving to the seat next to him, but he seemed at lot calmer and that was only making Dustin more stressed.

“Dustin, are you okay?”

“No, Lucas, I’m not okay!” Dustin shot back.

“Shut up, both of you!” Steve yelled as he pulled himself into the front seat, frowning darkly. He looked over Billy for a long time, then turned back forward. Dustin suspected Steve was remembering the time he’d fought Billy, and Dustin began to heave at the thought of fighting this one. Especially since this Billy was armed with some sort of long, large pistol resting where Dustin would expect a cup holder in a car. Dustin stared at the weapon a few more seconds, then looked down at his shoes and tried to stay calm. They were brand new, Adidas ZX-800s. His mother had worked hard to get him those new shoes to play with in the summer, and here he was in the mirror universe, really glad he wasn’t in his old shoes with holes in both the toes and heel, but also feeling a bit worried that he would really mess up his brand new shoes. By puking on them. Or getting shot in them.

“So…we’re going to meet the High Lord of the Town…” Lucas said, leaning toward Dustin, but still talking loud enough for those in the front seat to hear, “I wonder who he is…what if he’s my father?”

“Or Mike’s dad? Or Will or mine for that matter?” Dustin said, trying to sit up and seize on this interesting thought. Who would be in what position? Billy was apparently some kind of driver, and Nancy a fighter. Who else might be what?

“And I wonder who else helps to run the town…” Lucas murmured, “Or if Reagan is President too…or…what if he’s an Emperor?”

“Man, why would they pick Reagan as emperor…” Dustin questioned.

“Silence. You must not question our High King!” Billy yelled, “There are spies everywhere. You will have us destroyed…” Dustin glanced around, then felt ill again at the thought of government spies watching him. And the idea of Reagan as a fucking king. Dustin looked back at Lucas, but Steve spoke before he could.

“So, they have a high king. Where are we then, exactly? In terms of country?” Steve asked. Billy glanced at him, then back at the road.

“You are in the town of Hawkins, in the Region of Indiana, a territory of the Kingdom of America, the dominant power of the Western Hemisphere…”

“Whoa…” Dustin said, looking up, “As in, you all rule the Americas?”

“There is Brazil in the South, and a few islands of the Caribbean belong to the British Empire and Kingdom of France, but otherwise, yes…” Billy said. Lucas and Dustin glanced at each other in a mix of horror and excitement. Then Lucas swallowed, and Dustin suspected he was going to ask a question he would later regret.

“Billy, do you have a sister…maybe someone named Maxine or Max or…” Lucas trailed off. Billy looked at him in the mirror, then shook his head.

“The little sister I would have had did not survive her scaring. I think my father mentioned he was considering naming her Max, had she been stronger…”

“Max…is dead…” Lucas muttered, dropping his gaze. Dustin considered it and shook his head.

“Its more like she never existed. But Billy and Max aren’t actually related in our world, so maybe a version of Max exists, just not connected to him…” Dustin was cut off by an announcement over some sort of loudspeaker, and looked out and up at a tall, metal wall approaching them.

“IDs ready!” Dustin heard as they approached the barrier. The roads and streets they had been driving on up until that moment were very familiar and similar to the Hawkins he knew and loved. But this oncoming wall seemed to be out of a war movie, as it was some sort of metal military fortress, complete with towers and machine gunners, keeping the central city of Hawkins within the limits. Dustin tried to reconcile the strange wall in his head with the city he knew as they came through the small opening ahead of them. The gateway had the appearance of a check point, and Dustin leaned out through a window to see a man in military gear step out and hold out a hand to stop the cars. Dustin had to stare a few moments before he recognized that it Mike’s and Nancy’s father, Ted Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler had on his signature large, thick glasses, but this version was bald, dressed in military garb and armed with a small machine gun. He glaring at those in the cars in such a way that Dustin sensed an air of cruelty that was making Dustin shrink back. He could also see a number of scars tracing around Mr. Wheeler’s face, including a long one from the top of his bald head down to his chin, going right over his right eye. He waved the first Humvee toward him gruffly, and Dustin swallowed his terror and leaned, as subtlety as he could, out a window to hear what Mr. Wheeler said to the other version of Nancy.

“These are the ones from the other universe? They’re going to stop that thing? These soft weaklings…”

“I’m doing what I’ve been ordered to, but yes, I do think they may know what to do…”

“Alright girl, whatever you and he think…” Ted leaned into the back window and frowned, “This Nancy looks like a weakling compared to you, and that Will…ugh…at least this Michael looks a lot better than ours. He might have even kept his eye, had this one been properly scarred…”

“Kept his eye?” Dustin whispered loudly at Lucas. Lucas shrugged, then their car was lurching forward, moving past this version of Mike and Nancy’s father and into the city center. As Dustin stared out of the window, he became convinced they were trapped in some kind of horrible dark copy of their world. The buildings were all where they were supposed to be, except they all had either long, sharp edges, gargoyles or statues of people violently striking or fighting each other everywhere. Dustin recognized the Water and Sewer Authority, the Public Library and even the Hideaway Pub, all the same save for the monstrous statues jutting out from the buildings’ roofs. What Dustin remembered as the RadioShack was now some kind of weapons depot, while the Royal Furniture Co. had mainly explosives in the window. Otherwise, everything seemed very, very similar, just…somehow darker. Dustin gazed over the copy of his town in amazement, then, as the car passed a strangely evil looking Hawk Cinema, he glanced out the window to his left to see two women standing out front. One was a dark-skinned woman in a tight, yellow dress that went down to her knees, while the other was a thicker, pale woman in a large loose, checkered blue shirt and high pants. That clothing choice Dustin knew immediately, because even if this wasn’t his world, only his own mother would dress like that.

“Mom! Lucas, look!” Dustin yelled. Lucas glanced at him and leaned out of his window, and then drew back.

“That’s…that’s our mothers! Billy, slow down!” Lucas yelled. Billy looked back at them in the rearview mirror, then slowed the Humvee and pulled up closer to the women. As they approached though, Dustin could see a long, thick scar that marked the right side of his mother’s face, and the grey blank eye that the scar cut through.

“Mom…”

“This version of my mother doesn’t have the scar…why?” Lucas asked, trying to see the women better. Dustin looked to Lucas’ mother, and saw that she did have a mark, it was just an x on her face instead of a mark across her eye. This woman looked at Dustin’s mother, who glanced at the car and the two boys, then stomped over to them in a fury.  

“Dustin! What are you doing riding in this car? The high lord called you to the town center nearly an hour ago!” the woman backhanded Dustin across the face before he could say anything, then glared at Lucas behind him.

“Is this your doing? I fear what you father might do if he finds out that you…”

“Hey, stop!” Steve said, opening the door and undoing his seat-belt. The woman glanced at him as Steve was about to get out, but, before he could move anymore, she flung herself on the ground and held up her hands, her eyes wide with terror.

“I’m sorry my lord! Please, forgive me. You of course planned this out…I only hope my son is serving you to your satisfaction…” this version of Dustin’s mother continued to prostrate herself until Lucas’ mother touched the woman gently and pointed at Steve’s face.

“This….is not our lord. This is the copy, the one our lord was summoning. We’ve naught to fear from him…” the dark-skinned woman turned swiftly to look over Lucas, who drew back from the woman. She eyed Lucas for a long time, then smiled.

“Interesting. You are very similar to my son, even without the scar. I see the suffering of our race in your eyes …”

“Suffering of our race…” Lucas glanced at Dustin, then at that version of his mother, “Is there…still slavery or something?”

“I will allow my son to explain, as he had hoped too…come Claudia, pick yourself up…” Lucas mother helped Dustin’s mother to her feet. The woman looked over Dustin with something like disgust, then walked away, the elegant copy of Lucas’ mother following behind. Dustin and Lucas got back in the car, and then Billy started driving again as Dustin rubbed his sore, red cheek and looked pleadingly at Lucas.

“Are you okay, Dustin?” Lucas asked.

“My mom has never hit me before in my life…” Dustin blubbered out, feeling tears form in his eyes. Lucas put a hand on his shoulder.

“But that wasn’t your mom…” Lucas offered, “Our parents are back home, in the main universe.

“I know…but she…she looked and sounded like my mom…” Dustin countered.

“But it wasn’t…” Billy interrupted from the front, glancing back at them in the rear-view mirror, “It would help all of you to remember that these are not your family and friends. Even if they have the same faces, they are strangers to you…and will do things perhaps you would have never thought—or imagined—they would.”

“That’s a good attitude to take here…” Steve chimed in, “And whatever you do, don’t get attached to anyone or anything here. Right? Or you want to have another “Dart” running around?” Dustin glanced at Steve, remembering in horror the Demidog he had raised and had killed his mother’s cat. He took a few deep breaths, then stared out of the window and tried to control the flood of emotions he was feeling.

“Now, Hargrove…what did she mean when Mrs. Sinclair called me…” Steve started, but Billy held up a hand.

“Wait. You will find out soon enough…sir,” Billy said, then turned his attention back to the road and stroked the goatee on his chin. Steve glanced at Dustin and Lucas briefly, then looked back forward as the car passed through more of this version of the downtown Dustin had known all his life. The vehicles slowed around a turn near Melvald’s General Store, and Dustin could see a woman leaning out of the window, watching the cars go by. A woman with long, straight, black hair, in a dark brown sweater, and a thin, kind face, despite the jagged scar that for her cut from her lip to her temple.

“Ms. Byers…” Dustin murmured. Lucas glanced over toward her, but the woman had turned around and closed the windows behind her. Dustin watched Melvald’s fade behind them, and turned his attention back to the road.

“They’re not ours…they’re total strangers…with the same faces as our family and friends…”


	7. Dark Reflections

_Will_

Will gripped Mike’s hand tightly, trying his best not to cry. He was sitting on the right side of the back seat, while Mike was in between them and Nancy was to his left, looking out at this horrible version of their world. Meanwhile, Mirror Nancy, as Mike had taken to calling her, was sitting with Eight in the front seat next to the driver. Every dark glare Mirror Nancy gave Will sent him to the verge of tears again. Mirror Nancy, as far as Will could tell, seemed to hate him, and he tried not to catch her gaze again as their car slowed down in front of what he recognized as the town-hall. Or, some version of their town-hall. Will had been there twice, once for a Seventh-Grade class trip and once for when his mother was trying to petition for full custody of him and Jonathan. Both times, Will remembered how fun and exciting the hall was: the grand staircase, the high, decorative ceilings, the natural lighting of the fancifully decorated windows and the people, important businessmen in suits who seemed to make their small town seem important, even if for just a moment. As Mirror Nancy got out and signaled for them to follow, however, Will suspected the trip to this version of the town-hall would be neither fun nor exciting.

As Nancy helped Mike and him out of the back seat, Will could see in front of the main buildings a statue of an armed warrior raising a sword to stab it into a fallen man below him. Will stared at the terrible scene for a moment, then looked behind their group to see Steve get out of the front seat of the second car, followed by Lucas and Dustin. Mirror Nancy and her subservient Eight went to Mirror Billy stepping around from the driver’s seat. He ran a hand through his hair as Mirror Nancy snapped at him and gave an order, then he saluted and led Mirror Nancy and Eight past two pistol armed guards and into the main door of the building. The group from their universe was left outside, and Steve turned to Nancy and four younger boys. Dustin, who looked on the verge of panicking, leaned toward Mike and Will.

“This place is really the mirror universe! They’re copies of everyone…and their…terrible and evil!”

“Almost everyone…” Lucas muttered, eyeing where Billy had been.

“What are we going to do?” Will asked.

“What choice do we have? We have to see what they want first…” Mike said. Dustin gulped, then, the four boys moved with Nancy to where Steve was looking over the guards.

“We’ve got to be really careful here, guys. That version of me might actually kill one of you if we make her mad,” Nancy said, crossing her arms. Steve nodded in support, then held out a hand.

“She’s right. So stick together and stay behind me and Nancy…” Steve said, “Now, let’s go…” Steve moved slowly forward toward the guards. As he passed, the men put fists on their chests and lowered their heads. Will could see Steve didn’t really know how to react, and the older boy slowly held out a hand to them.

“Ahem…at ease, men…” Steve muttered. The men put their hands behind their backs and widened their stances. Steve looked back at the group then at the guard to his right.

“Give me that pistol, soldier…” the guard looked at Steve a moment, then drew his pistol from its holster and held it out to Steve.

“They’ll do what I say…” Steve said. He waved the boys and Nancy forward then put the pistol in his belt loop.

“Steve, I think your copy is…” Nancy started, moving with their group through the entrance of the town-hall, “In power, some kind of way…”

“But I’m only eighteen…unless he’s older or…something…” Steve muttered as they took a few steps into the rotunda. Unlike wide, sun-lit, aged wooden staircase that defined their worlds’ town-hall, this one was metallic, with sharp edges instead of a round shape, and had a horribly bright floodlight over the double doors beyond the staircase and the ones to their right. Will was about to move toward a door when he noticed mirror Nancy standing at the top of the staircase, with Eight next to her.

“Nice try, Steve…” she muttered, then snapped her fingers. Eight raised a hand, and the pistol Steve had in his belt loop was lifted telepathically, and flew toward that version of Nancy. She caught it deftly, then raised it and aimed it at the older boy. Mike instinctively moved in front of Will, but Will remembered that Nancy had not explicitly threatened Will. Mike was her target, and she again turned the weapon to him. Will could not manage summon the courage to stand in front of Mike, however, and continued to cower as she started to threaten.

“Don’t try something like that again or I will kill your Mike…” Mirror Nancy yelled. At this, Steve glanced at Mike, then began to move in front of him but Mirror Nancy shot at the ground between them.

“Don’t try it again! Now, come on!” Will watched as Steve, after a moment’s more hesitation, nodded at her slowly, then started to climb up the steps after the woman. Nancy followed, then the boys behind her, moving quickly to what Will remembered to be the Town Council Chambers. He expected a similar room, with a big table with seats for the council overlooking lots of metal folding chairs reserved for onlookers and viewers and a large, cushioned chair for the mayor in the middle. What they found instead was more like a throne-room, a short hallway, with two, metal pillars to either side and with decorations of different conflicts and wars all around the walls and hanging behind the throne. Will’s eyes bounced around the violent paintings and depictions on the walls, then focused on the man in the throne. He was lanky, in a tight, black leather jacket and similarly black, tight and leather pants, with a long mess of slicked black hair. He wasn’t actually sitting in the throne, though. He, instead, had his legs and feet hanging over one armrest while his head leaned back over the other, opening his mouth as a servant gently fed him grapes. The man in the throne turned his gaze slowly as Will and his universe’s group entered the room. Will’s worst fears were realized in the evil smirk that version of Steve gave them.

“Oh…how fantastic…” Mirror Steve said, sitting up and adjusting himself in what was clearly _his_ throne. Billy, at that point, quickly moved behind Steve and took up a guard stance, his hands at his sides and his watchful gaze now facing forward. Will stared at him a moment, then glanced at the servant who had been feeding Steve and did a double take when he saw it was his brother. Jonathan was holding the platter of fruits with one hand and was wearing too short and too tight jeans and a thin vest around his chest and shoulders. It wasn’t his Jonathan though. Will noted this when the older boy rubbed a thin, mostly healed scar on his eye, then began to cower away from their group.

“Steve…” Mirror Nancy said, moving toward Mirror Steve and turning to look back at the group from the main universe, “Eight delivered our copies, just as we wanted. They look weaker than I hoped, but I think they’ll do as asked. The younger boys alternative versions came too…at least, all who are alive in their world…”

“I see that…” Mirror Steve said, his eyes bouncing over the group, “Will, Lucas, Dustin, Mike and…best of all…your copy and mine…Steve and Nancy…we may actually be better able to withstand our enemy now…” Mirror Steve said with an air of suggestiveness that disturbed Will. These three looked a lot like his Jonathan, Nancy and Steve, but they were not the same…this was becoming increasingly obvious. Will began to fear what his version might be, then blinked a few times and felt a memory scratching at his mind. The memory, of looking at a mirror in a dream. The mirror, which a version of himself was looking out of.

“You’re…the ruler of the town?” their Steve asked, stepping forward, in front of their group. Mirror Steve nodded slowly at his counterpart, then leaned back.

“Yes, I am…Are you surprised? Are you not in a position of some note? Or…is your ambition outpaced in your world? Perhaps this version of me is too soft and weak to overthrow a ruler.”

“Overthrow a…” Steve cleared his throat, then looked up, “I…I’m still…growing in my world…how did you…”

“Enough. Is Jonathan here?” Nancy glanced at Mirror Jonathan, then pointed, “Our Jonathan? Where did those vines take him?”

“Hmph…she thinks we’d just let it take a Jonathan…” Mirror Steve smiled widely and looked at Mirror Nancy, “Perhaps they are not as strong as…”

“They defeated it in their world. They’ll defeat it here,” Mirror Nancy spat back. Mirror Steve seemed to smile even more at this, then turned to Mirror Jonathan.

“Byers! Bring us your Alternative version…this Nancy is clearly desperate for the boy…” Mirror Steve ordered. Mirror Jonathan nodded, glanced at Will just a moment, then scurried down a nearby hallway. Mirror Steve lounged easily in the chair and looked over their Steve a moment longer, before he held out a hand to Mirror Billy, who put a small, black, spiked radio in his palm. He turned a knob, then a voice came through. _Will’s_ voice.

“Yes, lord Harrington…” Will heard himself say. Or, more likely his Mirror Version. It was still startling, and Will glanced at Mike, who seemed to be going through this out of body experience with him.

“Your other version is here…if you would like to peruse…and their version of Mike is here as well…” there was a long moment of silence between the radio crackled to life again.

“…On my way, my lord…”

“Bring the others, let’s have a proper introduction…” Mirror Steve offered, then put the radio  back in Billy’s outstretched hand and leaned forward in his chair. After a moment, Mirror Steve rose, and moved toward their Steve standing in front of the others. He leaned forward and waved at his counterpart to come to him. Will could see more clearly now that this Steve had a dramatic scar, going across the whole of his face and through his right eye, and was slightly more muscular and with longer, slicked back, black hair than their Steve. His coat was open down the middle, and that Steve’s pale skin was visible beneath. Will could also see a holster for a knife hanging from his right side. This was a Steve though, and Will tried not to think too much about how erotically Mirror Steve was licking his lips and looking over his counterpart. Their Steve glanced back at his allies, then looked into the eyes of the Mirror Steve, who spoke softly, but sensually.

“Handsome, but so soft…Just as striking as I’d desired…” Mirror Steve reached out a finger and started to trace along their Steve’s face, but this clearly set Steve off, as he snatched Mirror Steve’s wrist and pulled his finger back.

“Enough. You said you brought us here! How and why?” Mirror Steve turned slowly to look at Steve’s hand on his, then pulled his hand away. His smirk had faded to a frown, and his eyes were now cold and unforgiving.

“You must misunderstand…Alternative Steve…” Mirror Steve said, frowning, “I am the one lord of this town. And I cannot have anyone threaten my rule, even with the slightest act of rebellion…especially not in an analogous version of myself…” Will considered then that this Steve’s way of speaking was strange. Almost like how Will would imagine a supervillain might speak. And, this Steve was using a lot of words Will suspected their Steve probably didn’t even know.

“What are you talking about? Just tell us why …” Steve was interrupted by Mirror Steve back-handing him and sending him sprawling on the ground.

“Steve!” their Nancy yelled, but as she started to move forward, Mirror Nancy drew a pistol and growled at her.

“Remember what I said about anyone trying anything?” Mirror Nancy roared, cocking the gun. Mirror Steve glanced back at her, held up a hand and Will could see his smile return.

“Wait a moment, my dear…” Mirror Steve leaned down to his counterpart on the ground. Steve rubbed his cheek and looked up at the other man. Mirror Steve smiled sensually, then snatched a handful of Steve’s hair and stood him up roughly.

“The rules of engagement here are rather simple to grasp…” Mirror Steve said, a certain coldness in his voice, and pulled Steve’s head close to his, “I suspect you’ll acquire them eventually…” Mirror Steve roughly thrust him away, then snapped at the armed woman behind him, “Sheathe the pistol, Nancy, I think they understood,” Mirror Steve said. Nancy grabbed Steve’s arms and steadied him, then gave a dark looked to Mirror Steve, who flipped his long, slick black hair and walked back to his throne.

“Once the others have arrived,” Mirror Steve started as he retook his throne, “I assure you, I will expound on why we’ve summoned you. But first, aren’t you curious about my power, Steve? About how a measly 18 year old has seized absolute control of a town…and achieved nearly about everything I—and perhaps you—could have hoped for?”

“I…Why…are you…” Steve began muttering through his teeth, trying to stay calm, but before he could speak more to his Mirror version, Mirror Jonathan returned, with two guards who dragged their Jonathan out with them. Will could tell from this Jonathan’s way of struggling and the wild mess that was once his well-manicured haircut, that this was truly his brother, despite the clear similarities to his counterpart. The men dragged Jonathan over and flung him into their Steve, who grabbed the boy and stood him up.

“Byers?” Steve asked slowly. Nancy stepped forward and looked over Jonathan in horror.

“Jonathan…oh god, what have they done to you?”

“…Alright…Nancy…is this another trick?” Jonathan looked at Mirror Steve, who smiled and leaned back.

“No…Byers…That’s your Steve and your Nancy, and even your Will…see, I promised you they’d come, and they have…” Jonathan glanced around, looking at Nancy, then at Will, then put his head on Steve’s chest. Nancy moved to touch his back, but the boy shied away from her touch, and did not even glance at Will again.

“Steve…real Steve…you’re here…”

“Of course we’re here, Byers. We came right after you! We weren’t going to leave…you…” Steve trailed off and grabbed Jonathan’s chin and could see stubble around his chin and cheeks. Stubble that Will knew it took nearly a week for Jonathan to even begin to grow.

“J…Jonathan…” Will started, “How…how long have you been…”

“Two weeks…” Will heard his own voice say, “Under my auspicious and careful care, and of course, with all the accommodation proper for a version of my own brother…” Will turned to see this terrible, dark copy of himself. The boy was as he remembered in the dream, half a head taller, with bigger arms, dark brown hair gelled up into a spike, a long, jagged scar on his face, and vest and short jeans similar to Mirror Jonathan's. Mirror Will came through a side door, and had two boys of similar age behind him, one a goofy looking plump child with a big smile on his face and badly mismatched colors on, and the second had dark black skin, and was hunched over, in a partially ripped shirt and pants, and was being pulled forward on a long, clanking chain. All their group turned to the image in horror, and most struggled to speak for a moment.

“That’s our copies…” Dustin muttered.

“Mirror Will, Dustin and Lucas…” Mike whispered.

“Where’s your version?” Will whispered to Mike. Lucas, however, knocked the three back and stomped forward in fury.

“You’ve actually got fucking slavery here? What the sh*t is this? I’m not helping this fucking world if…” suddenly, the black child, who it was now obvious was Mirror Lucas, raised his head, smiled at his counterpart and laughed loudly.

 “I knew it. I just knew he would react like that! Hah!”

“You…you got him…hehe…” Mirror Dustin said. Will noted how the boy almost sounded like he was barely able to talk, and his laugh was overly goofy.

“Wha…what’s going on?” Lucas asked.

“I tricked you to get a laugh…” Mirror Lucas said, undoing his chains quickly, and stretching out before moving toward his counterpart, “I’m at least glad you get angry about this…our race must have a fury about the past…or it will never succeed…like my father says…” Lucas stared at the other boy a moment, then shook his head.

“Our race must not forget about the past…or it will never succeed, that’s what my father says…” Lucas muttered. Mirror Lucas sighed, then shrugged.

“I think I like my father’s version better…” Mirror Lucas said. Mike spoke up, still holding Will’s hand.

“So there isn’t slavery, right?” Mike asked. Mirror Lucas glanced at him, and flashed a big grin.

“No, not legally here. We fought this big Civil War about it, and afterward, revolting freed slaves slaughtered most of their masters, took our place as equals in this Kingdom…that’s what this scar represents, the slavery that we will never accept again…” Mirror Lucas said, touching his face and the x scratched across it. Will noted their Lucas’ face was no longer anger or frustration, but now curiosity and surprise.

“You said…you’re equals here?” Lucas asked. Mirror Lucas glanced at Mirror Dustin, who seemed to have lost focus and was glancing around the room and bobbing his head back and forth to some unheard music.

“Yes…legally that is…though there were moments of violence in the past and white slaughters in the South that made many consider us barbaric…however, when it comes to taking power or serving in government…”

“Okay, hold on, before the history lesson, I want to be clear. This idiot is my copy?” Dustin groaned, “Can he even tie his fucking shoes?” Mirror Dustin looked at his counterpart and drew back in horror and started shaking his head.

“He said a bad word! That’s like…I said a bad word!”

“It’s alright, Dustin, he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings…” Mirror Lucas said with a reconciliatory tone to Mirror Dustin and appearing frustrated with their Dustin. He glanced at the other Lucas, “Control your Dustin before he sets mine off and gets hurt…” Lucas looked back and raised an eyebrow.

“Control? I can’t…he’s…how powerful am I in this world?”

“Enough you two…” Mirror Will said and jerked his hand up to silence them. Mirror Dustin whimpered slightly at this, and became silent, while Mirror Lucas just rolled his eyes. Mirror Will stepped slowly toward the other Will, looked the boy over, and clicked his tongue.

“This pathetic thing is me in that world…No wonder you were the one taken…” Mirror Will said, then turned to Mike, “But you…you appear so soft, and yet, also I see strength…and…desire…” Mirror Will glanced down at where the two were holding hands, then turned and roughly grabbed Mirror Dustin’s arm, dragging him back toward the throne.

“Why do…the others have that scar there?” Mike pointed at his face as Mirror Will turned back to them, “Not Lucas…but the…the…”

“Just say it Mike. Why do the white people have scars over their eyes?” Lucas muttered, clearly annoyed. Mirror Lucas laughed at this, then Mirror Will clicked his tongue.

“When a child of the white race is born in the North of the Kingdom, he or she is cut across the right side of their face. The more dramatic and powerful looking the scar, the stronger and braver the child will be…” Mirror Will said, touching his own mark, “Small or light scars mean that person is soft. And if the child whines and squirms or fights, it could lose an eye…like Mike did…or kill themselves in the process…” Will listened to this, then looked over the group. Mirror Will and Mirror Steve had long and brutal looking scars. Mirror Dustin’s seemed thin, and Will recognized Mirror Jonathan’s was light as well.

“Enough of this…Come here Dustin…” Mirror Will ordered. Mirror Dustin pulled back slightly and tried to look at his counterpart again.

“But…I want to see him…I want to…” Mirror Will turned and slapped Mirror Dustin hard. The wounded boy whimpered again, then scurried to his place next to Steve. Mirror Lucas eyed the exchange, then walked slowly back to stand next to Mirror Dustin. Will could see Mirror Lucas was gritting his teeth. _He doesn’t like that…_

“Enough you two…” Mirror Steve said to Mirror Dustin and Mirror Will, then turned back to his counterpart and smirked again, “Your Byers is returned, unharmed and unhindered, if a little frayed. As you’ll find, we can be reasonable…and we only brought you here to help us…to fight a mutually abhorrent enemy…”

“Abhorrent enemy?” Nancy asked, now very slowly stroking Jonathan’s back. Jonathan was still buried in Steve’s chest and holding onto the boy tightly, but now, at least, he was letting Nancy touch him again. Will didn’t want to imagine what they might have done to him, and instead focused on their Mirror versions, who began to speak about the same issue one by one.

“There is a particular creature, one that has invaded our world…the same creature that attacked yours…” Mirror Will said, crossing his arms and giving a similar smirk.

“A monster of great power…” Mirror Lucas added.

“A terrible demon of shadow and spores…with animal, plant hybrids servants that kill soldiers and kidnap children…” Mirror Nancy muttered.

“A true evil!” Mirror Dustin said, sounding more silly than ominous, “Who would destroy our world and yours!”

“And the only way to save both our worlds…” Mirror Steve said, “Is to work together…to beat what we call…the “Mind-flayer.”


	8. Stories in a Mirror, Part I

_Nancy_

Nancy looked back into the eyes of her dark counterpart, the cold, heartless woman who had allowed Jonathan’s torture if not flat out participated. They were behind it, the capture of both Jonathan and Mike by those vines. This evil, horrible collection of copies of themselves. Even if the Mind-flayer, or some version of the Mind-flayer, was in this world, it was hard for Nancy to imagine this thing was any worse than the people standing in front of her. Nancy felt like she was staring into a dark mirror. She now saw what Mike had been talking to Will about, and started to consider this group with the title Mirror before their names. Therefore, Mirror Will glanced at their Will, then held out a hand in the direction of Mike.

“We need your help, because you have done something we were unable to do…”

“And what could we do that you couldn’t?” Mike asked, stepping in front of their Will. In response, Mirror Nancy put a hand on Eight and pushed her forward.

“I sensed…the Mind-flayer’s power was shut off in your world…” Eight muttered.

“If that is our Mind-flayer. How did you even sense our world? Or even know about us?” Lucas asked suddenly, pointing at his opposite.

“Well…I won’t say we totally understand it ourselves…” Mirror Lucas said, “But, Eight can sense what’s happening in your world through some mirrors, and…”

“Enough,” Mirror Steve said, holding up a hand, “From what your Jonathan has told me…you don’t have a strong structure of hierarchy in your world, and if we just let you speak, we’ll be bickering and discoursing with no reason or logic. So, why don’t we start by telling the whole of our story…then, make clear what it is we need…” Mirror Steve looked at Mirror Will, who cleared his throat.

“I suppose then, I’ll start…” Mirror Will ran a hand through his spiked hair and sighed, “Our problems…began on what was an otherwise unnoteworthy Saturday in Spring of 1983. Hawkins’ lord at the time, Dr. Martin Brenner, suffered a rather serious explosion in his laboratory. As we found out later, a girl, notated as Eleven, who was also named Kali, had reached out to another world, and alerted a certain creature, the Demogorgon, to our existence. The Demogorgon was…”

“We know what it is, a Dungeons and Dragons enemy…” Dustin said. There was silence in the room for a moment, then Mirror Will looked back at Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin.

“You have Dungeons and Dragons there?” Mirror Lucas asked in what was a shocked and confused tone.

“Like…a board game, where you make characters?” Mirror Will questioned.

“Holy shit…” their Dustin muttered, then looked at their Will, Mike and Lucas.

“They have the same Dungeons and Dragons…I wonder what else do they have here? Do you think they played Monopoly? Or Clue?” Mike started to ask.

“Shut up, Mike! Let him finish the damn story!” Nancy yelled this, in amazingly and disturbingly perfect sync with Mirror Nancy. Nancy glared at her counterpart, who reached down toward her pistol and started to unhostler it. Mirror Steve held up a hand to her, then looked back to Mirror Will.

“Continue…”

“Yes sir…The next day, that Sunday, we played an enormous campaign that only ended when our heroes were defeated by said Demogorgon. We decided to call it a night, we had middle age training the following day…”

“Middle school…” Mike whispered. Nancy glared at him to shut up, then Mirror Will went on.

“Dustin and Lucas left first on their bikes. I stayed with Mike for a little, as I often did…calming him before he slept…” Mirror Will glanced away, trailing off, then turned back to look at their Mike, “then, finally, we said good night, and just as I was leaving, I saw the lights blink, but I thought nothing of it and left. And in the morning…”

“He was gone…” Mike whispered, then glanced at Will. Mirror Nancy dropped her gaze and sighed loudly.

“My father was out guarding the perimeter, my mother was helping to clean the explosion at the lab," she said, "I was…not around to watch him…but, in the morning, Mike was just gone. And we had no idea what had happened…” Mirror Nancy said. Nancy looked at Mike, and then back at her counterpart and suddenly felt nothing but pity. Jonathan had woken up to find Will had been missing, presumed dead. If Nancy had to go through that…how would she have behaved…would she be as cold and hard as this girl opposite her?

“And that is where I enter the story…” Mirror Steve said, smiling darkly, “You see, while those three were hoping to find their missing friends down at the middle age training, I was pursuing a particularly attractive woman, a girl who had just lost her brother, and was both mourning and afraid of the future…” Mirror Steve glanced at Mirror Nancy.

“That Tuesday, I invited her to my home, along with my friends, Tommy and Carol, and her friend…Barbara…We began by drinking and talking and we’d…agreed we were going to enjoy each other’s company. After all, Tommy and I were old friends and…well, with five of us…why waste the pleasures of such company. Just as we were about to start, however…” Mirror Steve turned to Mirror Jonathan, “This boy, who was training in reconnaissance, started to record—and admire—the  view…with a rather fancy camera…” Nancy glanced at their Jonathan, who turned red with shame and looked down. She still remembered that, and she would be lying if she were to say she didn’t still think about it sometimes. Mirror Jonathan, however, showed none of his counterpart’s embarrassment, and instead looked almost content as Mirror Steve continued.

“Unfortunately for this spy-in-training, dear Barbara was training in counter intelligence, and she caught on to him with some ease. Barbara recommended I remove a finger. Tommy wanted to beat him, and Carol told me to send him to an agonizing chamber at the town hall…” Mirror Steve grinned widely and leaned back in his chair, “I, instead, thought a better punishment might be to utilize him for our own purposes. Besides, he was…willing to…do his part in our enjoyment, weren’t you?” Mirror Steve glanced at Mirror Jonathan, who nodded at him slowly. Nancy’s eyes grew wide as she understood what Mirror Steve was suggesting happened. With all of them, at that party… Jonathan and Steve and Nancy…together…

“Enjoyment? What do you mean?” Steve interrupted, trying to catch up. Nancy still noted Jonathan was holding on tight to him, and Nancy was starting to imagine things she shouldn’t have. Or, felt like she shouldn’t’ve. Nancy felt heat rising to her face. They had done it. All three of them, actually, more than the three of them. Well, no, not them, not really. But…in this world, they…they had…

“Enjoyment Steve, how do you take pleasure in the company of a man or woman?” Mirror Steve questioned. Nancy glanced at Steve, then Jonathan lifted himself slowly from Steve’s chest.

“It’s…true…” Jonathan said, “They…they are…” Nancy glanced at him, then quickly looked back at Mirror Steve, who was was smirking at his counterpart. Their Steve struggled to figure out the concept, then suddenly, his eyes widened as he put two and two together.

“Wait, you had Nancy…and Jonathan and Tommy and Carol and Barbara were all together and were doing…having…” Steve shoved Jonathan back and looked him over, then looked back up at Mirror Steve.

“Sexual contact? Yes…we did…” Mirror Steve nodded slowly, then shrugged, “It’s normal for many of us, especially during late high school, to experiment as such to determine future companions…”

“To…I was…we…” Steve struggled out, then glanced at Nancy, then Jonathan, then Nancy, then Jonathan again, then at his own hands. Their Jonathan turned from Steve and sighed. Nancy tried to repeat to herself that these weren’t the same people, that their experience wasn’t like that. But all she could think about was Steve in front of her, and Jonathan behind her, and their hands…sliding up and down each other as much as her. Nancy shook the thought away as best she could and cleared her throat.

“Okay, that…thing… happened with you all…So when was Barb taken?” Nancy demanded. There was silence from the Mirror group, then Mirror Nancy answered.

“Barb wasn’t take from this world…” Mirror Steve answered.

“What?” Nancy asked, looking around in confusion, “If Barb wasn’t taken, then…who?” Mirror Steve pointed at Mirror Jonathan next to him.

“Jonathan…when he tried to leave in the morning…” Mirror Nancy answered, crossing her arms and looking away, “Tried to sneak away so that his mother and brother wouldn’t be suspicious…he suddenly disappeared, same as Mike…”

“Then…” Nancy started, “Barb is alive…here…”

“Yes…she is…I wonder, would you like to see her?” Mirror Steve asked, speaking with a suggestive air. Nancy wanted to ask more, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t seem speak. All she could do was nod her head.

“We'll make it so…later,” Mirror Steve said, “For now, though, Alternative Nancy, allow me to continue…” And, using extensive details and demonstrating an impressive vocabulary, Mirror Steve and Mirror Will told the rest of the story. The story of the Head of the Town Guard, Jim Hopper’s, search for the truth, and discovery of a fake body of Mirror Mike, probably planted by the mirror version of Dr. Brenner. Mirror Steve and Mirror Nancy’s pursuit of Mirror Jonathan into a nearby woods and Mirror Nancy’s accidental entrance into a similarly named “Upside-down.” Mirror Will’s discovery of Eight, and his hiding her in his house while Mirror Dr. Brenner pursued them. Then, all them uniting together, and utilizing a sensory deprivation tank on Eight to discover where the two boys were. Mirror Mike had been captured and was being implanted by one of that creature’s roots in the upside-down version of the lab. Mirror Hopper had gone to the other side to rescue him with the boys’ mother. Jonathan meanwhile was hiding out down in an old tunnel system and that was where the story got really crazy.

“After Hopper and Karen Wheeler left…” Mirror Steve continued, “Nancy and I agreed we would find Jonathan at all costs. He was still alive, and Hopper was going first and foremost to get Mike. So Nancy and I armed ourselves, went back through a gateway in the woods and found Jonathan, hiding in an underground tunnel between the labs and the eastern farms. And there…” Mirror Steve glanced around, then continued, “We found the remains of another teenager. Mostly decayed. But it was clear that she was a girl, with long red hair, and thick glasses. Roots were growing throughout her body, but Nancy nonetheless recognized her immediately.”

“Barbara…” Nancy said, gulping. It felt like reliving her terrible failure. Then, Nancy considered how confusing and strange that had to have been to have found her if…

“Except our Barbara was not dead…” Mirror Steve explained, “A rather puzzling conundrum, I’d say. It was Jonathan, who had spent the longest over there, who came up with the theory first. He surmised that there was another world that was just like ours, where the same people lived but had different experiences…then, we found other things, other hints, to corroborate that theory.…that said maybe strange copies of ourselves had been brought to that world…”

“This…for instance…found in the destroyed remains of a tent and holdout…” Mirror Will turned to Mirror Lucas, who nodded quickly, then went into a nearby bag and pulled out an old, partially rotted piece of wood. When he held it up, however, it had the unmistakable mark of “Castle Byers” across it.

“My tent…” Will murmured. Nancy glanced at him, then at their Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, who were staring at the wood piece in wonder.

“Or this…” Mirror Nancy threw a small piece of metal at her counterpart. Nancy caught it, then looked down to see a necklace. The necklace had a small W on it and wasn’t particularly nice or pretty. But Nancy knew it. It was something she had bought on a whim nearly two years ago, and something that had broken off her neck and had been lost when Jonathan had pulled her through a tree back into their world. Something she had mostly forgotten about...

“It’s the same upside-down…” Nancy murmured. Jonathan looked at the metal, then at Steve, who was still clearly uncomfortable and struggling with the revelation about their sexual history in this world. Nancy, however, was too focused on the implications of the necklace in his hand to care, “That…that means…the Demogorgon, and the Mind-flayer…they’re…or they were the same…”

“We believed so. It was clear that this creature had attacked another world, and taken children from your world, same as ours…but your experience was different…”

“Yeah, it was…” Nancy answered, stroking the necklace carefully and glancing at Steve and Jonathan, “Did you kill…the Demogorgon, together?”

“I bound Eight to me…” Mirror Nancy said, looking at the girl, “And then,  Jonathan laid out a plan, with both Steve and I that lead to us trapping, burning and obliterating the thing…”

“Hopper was also able to overthrow Dr. Brenner, and established himself as town lord, promising to get rid of any evidence of that creature or its corruption in our town…” Mirror Steve said, smiling. Then he looked at Mirror Jonathan, who looked down.

“And we thought, with Mike and I back…that we were going to have peace…”

“But you were wrong…” Will said, his voice breaking “Because Mike was infected…and the Mind-flayer wasn’t through…”

“If Mike survived the upside-down…” Nancy started, still stroking the necklace, but now searching the room with her eyes, “Why isn’t he here?”


	9. Stories in a Mirror Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has been so slow coming. I'm posting two together, so you'll have at least something. Hope you enjoy!

_Mike_

Mike was afraid. Afraid of what the answer to that question might be. But, before Mirror Will could give any, Mirror Steve adjusted himself in his chair and snapped at his allies.

“We’ll get there. Resume the story, Will…” Mirror Steve instructed. Mirror Will nodded, touched his long scar under his eye, probably in thought, then continued. Mike was trying to keep that scar in mind, as the reason why the more confident, stronger, and—more handsome—Will, was just a dark copy with evil intentions.

“Life returned and became normal, somewhat, for a year. There were changes though. Mike’s mother was much more protective, and I tried to make sure I kept him safe too…”

“My father and mother split up. My father became head guardsman of the town…while my mother…became Hopper’s woman…” Mirror Nancy said.

“She what?” Nancy spat. Mike glanced at the Mirror copy of his sister in shock. Sure, his parents marriage wasn’t doing great, and his mother and father argued a lot. But, his mom leaving his dad for…Hopper? This was hurting Mike’s head.

“Despite, our attempts to protect him though, Mike, who was never particularly strong, started to become ill…he felt like he could no long bathe in warm water, and began to have random visions into the Upside-down, where the Mind-flayer started to trouble him…”

“Jonathan! Did you have those visions?” Mike asked Mirror Jonathan, who glanced up at him, then at Mirror Steve, who signaled with a lazy wave.

“Answer the question…”

“I…no…the Demogorgon and the Mind-flayer never caught me…though it knows of me and wants me…once I was dragged into the Upside-down, it never could find or catch me again…” Jonathan muttered, “I trained in reconnaissance and survival…”

“And excelled in it…” Mirror Steve smiled at his Jonathan, reached out and stroked the boy’s arm, then leaned back, “Despite Jonathan’s ability to avoid the creature, the situation deteriorated fast with Mike. One day, after some time in a combat arcade, our poor Mike tried to flat out yell down the Mind-flayer…”

“And was overtaken by it…and consumed…” Will whispered. Mike put a hand on his shoulder, and then Mirror Will picked up where Mirror Steve left off.

“Mike was put up in the lab, where one of Hopper’s men, Dr. Samuel Owens, was trying to cure the boy…Hopper became obsessed with curing him…so much so that he began ignoring his duties as town lord. Several of the larger farms of the area became infested with some strange…sickness…and soon enough, dark creatures that idiot Dustin there named Demidogs…”

“Because their small versions of Demogorgons…like dogs…” Mirror Dustin explained. Their Dustin nodded in support of the idea, and Mike rolled his eyes and looked back at Mirror Will.

“Yes, the Demidogs. Including one this child raised on candy…” their Dustin cleared his throat at this, and Mike could see Steve and Lucas give him dark looks, “began to wonder outside the perimeter at night, attacking animals and people alike. Further, a strange poison started to appear in our fields, and some several acres of farmland were infected with flies, mushrooms and death. Hopper might have let Hawkins collapse in chaos, he was so obsessed with curing Mike…so…” Mirror Will looked at Mirror Steve who nodded at him, then spoke.

“I decided to take matters into my own hands. Besides, Jonathan and I…we desired revenge. Dr. Brenner’s people had made a truly horrid mess of our lives. Therefore, Jonathan and I gathered loyal allies, such as our classmate, Hargrove here…and we were able to turn Ted Wheeler against his wife and Hopper, and soon enough moved to overthrow him…” Mike listened in increasing horror and terror as Mirror Steve’s story became more terrible.

“I personally led a group to seize town hall. Hopper had forgiven many of Dr. Brenner’s servants and men, and we began by eliminating them. The, I moved on the lab with Ted and some of his men. We slaughtered most the workers, who were complicit in the acts which had originally brought such problems to our town, and finally, we reached Mike’s room. I shot and killed Hopper first…” Mirror Steve smirked coldly, then continued, “Then I took out Owens…Karen threw herself over Mike…begged us to spare him…but we couldn’t risk it…”

“You…you…couldn’t risk it…” Will questioned in horror. Mike was terrified of what was coming next too and grabbed Will’s hand as he braced himself for Mirror Steve's explanation.

“Hargrove ripped her off the boy, and held her back. Then…I allowed him to choose who would kill him. He picked Will of course, the boy who had been his first mate…” Mirror Steve looked at Mirror Will, who stared Mike down, his face unchanging.

“What?” Will yelled in true horror. He snatched his hand away from his friend and gripped his hair. The boy was on the verge of crying and Mike wished he could say something to calm or help him. But he himself was barely comprehending this.

“He…they…were…they liked each other…maybe loved…and he…killed him…” Mike muttered.

“Once Will had cut Mike’s throat…” Mirror Steve continued, “Karen flung herself from the window…tragic really. After that…there was no barrier to my ascension. I became undisputed town lord…I quickly salted all the infected fields, sent out parties to hunt down every Demidog out in the woods, and had the lab blown up…” Mirror Steve rubbed his face and sighed. It might have seemed like what he’d done was a solution, at first, but clearly, it hadn’t been totally successful based on the way he continued, “I believed we had succeeded. No more attacks, the fields’ poison faded and life seemed to returned to normal…but…”

“After about two months…” Mirror Nancy cut in, “Our new fields started to show signs of corruption…and the Demidogs started to reappear, despite our unceasing efforts to hunt them down. Further, those vines, the same vines that pulled you all here into this world, started to burst from the formerly salted fields, grabbing our soldiers and taking them down to some unknown depths…”

“We needed an innovative and quick solution. And we found one…the vines, strangely enough, started to open new gateways, outside of our world. Including, as it turned out, access to your world…”

“And, because you somehow eliminated the Mind-flayer from your world…despite your generally soft nature…we have brought you here to help us solve this problem ...”

“And so, this is the deal we offer. You help us defeat the Mind-flayer, drive him from our world, ceasing his assaults on your world in the meantime…and we will return you all safely home…and make it worth your while…” Mirror Steve smiled and rubbed his fingers, as if he was caressing money.

“And if we refuse?” Nancy asked.

“Then I give your Will, your Mike and your Jonathan to the Mind-flayer to see if it appeases him, and Nancy uses the rest of you for target practice…” Mirror Steve said. Mike gulped at the thought of being consumed by the spores and smoke, though, Will looked on the verge of fainting from distress and moved to hide behind Mike.  

“You promise you’ll send us all home…once we’ve beat it?” Mike asked, trying to summon courage he wasn’t sure he really had.

“I give you my word as town lord...help us, and we will make every effort to return you, all of you, safely…” Mirror Steve said, tapping his fingers together. Mike hesitated, feeling like he was about to make a really bad deal with a super-villain, and glanced to Lucas and Dustin.

“Do you trust him?” Lucas asked.

“Do _we_ trust him?” Dustin modified.

“No,” Steve answered, crossing his arms, “But I’m not sure we have much choice…”

“Then, we only have one option…” Will murmured from behind Mike.

“One, awful option from awful people…” Jonathan concurred quietly, glancing back at Steve, then at Mike.

“We’ll take the deal…” Mike said, deciding he was going to speak for the group.

“Wait, Mike…” Nancy started. Mike scowled at her.

“You want us to fucking vote?” Mike turned to look over the six others from his world, all of whom were silent as he glanced over them, “Does anyone object?” Lucas glanced at Dustin, then both looked at Mike. Steve’s gaze remained fixed on his counterpart and the two teens standing next to him. Jonathan’s gaze remained downward and Nancy turned away, signaling approving with an attitude of _I can’t believe we’re doing this._

“Excellent…” Mirror Steve said, “Then, as allies to our cause, I would like to formally welcome you to Hawkins, Indiana, esteemed guest of his lordship…ah Hargrove, you’ve returned,” Mirror Steve looked at Mirror Billy, who saluted his lord with a fist on his chest, “Be sure their rooms are ready…your counterparts will lead you there. Now, I need to change…” Mirror Steve stood, looked over their Jonathan, Nancy and Steve one last time, then stepped briskly out toward a side door and left the throne room.

“You three, follow Hargrove and myself. You four, follow the younger boys…” Mirror Jonathan said, then turned and started walking, not even waiting for the others to follow.

“Come on Mike…aren’t you curious how Lord Harrington has set up your rooms…” Mirror Will said with a dark smirk, then turned and started walking, with Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin close behind.

“I hate the Mirror Universe…” Mike grumbled as he started to follow the boy, with Will gripping his hand close behind.

“Me too...” Lucas agreed.

“Me three…” Dustin muttered.

“Me four…” Mirror Dustin offered from behind their group. Dustin glanced at the boy, then turned back to Mike angrily.

“Are we absolutely sure this idiot is my copy?”


	10. We’ve Got to be Good

_Jonathan_

Jonathan, with Steve and Nancy, followed Mirror Billy and his counterpart through the long hallways toward what he assumed would be a guest room. Or another dungeon. He had already visited both during his time as a prisoner there in the Town Palace. Jonathan could hear vaguely the sound of footsteps going in in a different direction, which he knew was Will’s other version leading the four younger boys to rooms on the opposite side. Jonathan sighed, and hoped Will and the other boys would be okay. The people in that world were cruel and heartless, Jonathan knew that first hand. From how the other version of Will had spat and hit him. How Nancy had coldly ignored, and punished his begging. Only the other Steve had even shown him enough kindness to listen to him, give him non-threatening human contact, even though Jonathan knew that the evil Steve had probably fabricated the entire thing. Jonathan suspected that evil Steve had only wanted to get as much out of him as possible. Jonathan also knew that the “Mirror” versions of Will and Nancy were not the same as his own brother and lover, but Jonathan still drew back from Nancy’s touch. Two weeks…he’d spent two horrible weeks…  

“You okay, man?” Steve said, looking back at Jonathan, who noticed he was gripping Steve’s arm tightly. Jonathan glanced at him, then tried to let go. He knew Steve was still a bit weirded out by the discussion about the sexual relationship between Mirror Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. But, Jonathan almost felt like he couldn’t let go of the older boy. Steve was warm and didn’t draw back from the touch, but he was also strong and powerful. _He could protect Jonathan…no one else cared like he did…_ Jonathan shook Mirror Steve’s words out of his head, fought back his instinct to cower, and turned his head and gaze to Nancy.

“I’m so sorry…I..I just…need…some time. She…she was…”

“You can say it. An evil bitch…” Nancy muttered, “The mirror version of me is cruel and awful…Say what you will about his methods, at least Steve’s mirror version is dedicated to protecting Hawkins…” Nancy muttered. Steve turned back in horror.

“What? That madman murdered half the workers here out of revenge, then killed Hopper and had Mike murdered in front of his mother!”

“No, she is right…” Mirror Jonathan spoke up, the first time he’d spoken since he’d ordered the three to follow him, “He displays a coldness, and must show strength to keep his position…but he is truly a caring man…he has never been anything but loving and sweet to me and my brother…”

“Wow…how nice. He knows how to treat you two right…to bad everyone else is second beef to him…” Steve yelled, then threw up one hand and patted Jonathan on the shoulder with his other. It felt so good to Jonathan…in fact, it was…loving and sweet.

“He cares more than the power-hungry Brenner nor the drunken, hardman Hopper. Hopper beat Karen…when they were lovers…Nancy beat me once, and Steve smacked her hand away, and warned her never to touch me with anything but affection again…”

 “Anything but affection?” Nancy muttered, looking at Mirror Jonathan, who seemed short moments away from withdrawing back into his normal silence and downcast looks.

“Excuse me if I’m not convinced of that man’s sincerity…” Steve muttered. Jonathan gripped Steve’s arm, then sighed.

“He…didn’t hurt me. Not personally. Not while I was here…” Steve glanced at Jonathan, then looked the boy over.

“He didn’t? Did somebody do something? Did somebody hit you or…” Jonathan glanced into Steve’s searching, surprisingly desperate eyes, then slowly turned his gaze to Nancy. She started to shake her head.

“Oh, Jonathan…no…”

“I…know it wasn’t you…”

“Jonathan…I’m so sorry, I…” Nancy moved toward Jonathan and he jerked back involuntarily. Seems Mirror Nancy and Mirror Steve had trained him well, “No…” Nancy whispered. Steve, however, gripped Jonathan’s arms.

“That Nancy didn’t do anything to you, Jonathan. That Nancy demanded we go after you as soon as you were gone, and that Nancy was the first to jump in once the Mirror gate…thing…was open…” Steve tried, struggled, to convince him. But Jonathan knew it wasn’t any good. It wouldn’t work. Not for a while at least.

“I know…and I know you would never do anything to hurt me…” Jonathan muttered, “I’m just being selfish and stupid…”

“Oh, Byers, don’t say that…”

“Hmm…interesting…my Steve told me to stop saying that to myself as well…” Mirror Jonathan said, then opened a door and held a hand out, “This is your room…” Jonathan followed Steve and Nancy into the room, and it only took Steve a few second to turn around and start yelling.

“There’s only one bed in here!”

“Large enough for all three of you, as per my lord’s orders…” Mirror Billy said, “You also have a change of clothing on the bed. My lord would like Lady Nancy and Lord Harrington to come scout out the salted fields today to begin formulating a plan for defeating the Mind-flayer…” Steve eyed him, then turned to where a very small leather vest and what looked like black, military trousers were folded sitting together. Steve picked up the vest, then looked back at Mirror Billy and Mirror Jonathan.

“You must be joking…”

“No…he’s not…” Mirror Jonathan murmured, “You should hurry up and change. Once night sets in, it is no longer safe to scout the fields…”

“Fine…” Steve threw down the vest, took off his shirt, then glanced back at the two Mirror versions standing in the doorway.

“Are you going to watch everything?”

“Actually, we were instructed too…”

“My copy is a fucking perv, Nancy! I’d trade crazy for that any day!” Steve groaned, then undid his belt and dropped his pants, revealing a tight pair of briefs and sizable bulge in his front. Steve, grumbling, turned to look at the military trousers, and then, slowly, picked up a tight, black pair of underwear and sighed in frustration.

“He wants me to change my goddamned skivvies?”

“Yes, those will give you increased flexibility and ease your ability to utilize your…” Mirror Billy started before Steve snapped at him, shushed him, then dropped his briefs. And Jonathan peaked. Just a moment, but Jonathan saw Steve’s round, pale buttocks bounce as he gruffly stepped out of his briefs, and Jonathan glanced Steve’s manhood. It was sizable, but well-shaped. Jonathan felt old desires well up in him and stiffened against his pants as Steve’s struggled to get his lengthy shaft into the new tight black briefs. He turned around as he finally got it in and Jonathan swore he could almost see veins the cloth pressed against him so tightly.

“These are supposed to be more comfortable?” Steve muttered, trying to prevent the briefs from giving him a wedgie. Jonathan finally forced his gaze away, and saw that Nancy was also down to her underwear, a tight bra and a pair of white panties. She was looking at her tight blue top and the shorts, and glanced back at Mirror Billy and Mirror Jonathan.

“Am I supposed to have a change of…” Nancy signaled up and down herself, but Mirror Billy shook his head.

“No…Lady Nancy was not so quick to give you…new clothing as Lord Harrington was…”

“Of course…” Steve muttered, pulling up the trousers and zipping them up. He looked at Jonathan, who was already wearing a very similar looking outfit. Steve rolled his eyes, then pulled on his vest, leaving it open to expose a line of skin from his neck to just above his crotch, and Nancy finished getting on her top and shorts. Steve and Nancy now looked an awful lot like their Mirror counterparts, and Jonathan felt a shiver when Nancy held out a hand to him.

“Are you okay?” Nancy asked. Jonathan looked at her, and tried to find the words to speak, but Steve interrupted.

“I’m not…I’m wearing a strip of leather on my Johnson and two strips of leather over my nipples!” Steve spat vulgarly, “Where are we going, Hargrove?” Mirror Billy cleared his throat, then looked at Mirror Jonathan.

“Shall I’ll go inform my lord that they’re ready to go?” Mirror Billy asked. Mirror Jonathan nodded at him, then looked back at Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve.

“Yes, hurry. Please, do not do anything foolish…for your own sakes…” Mirror Jonathan said.

“How come…” Nancy started suddenly, looking at the boy “You can give Billy orders? I thought Billy served…Steve…” Mirror Jonathan, glanced at her quickly, then dropped his gaze.

“Billy serves Steve’s household…” Mirror Jonathan muttered, then stepped away. Steve and Nancy looked at each other in horror, then at Jonathan who dropped his head and sighed.

“I don’t know exactly. They’re not really married, the other Jonathan said they’re too young. But…they are…companions maybe…”

“They’re the evil Steve’s whores…” Nancy muttered. Jonathan shrugged at the thought.

“I don’t know about the other Nancy…but Jonathan seems to really have affection for that Steve…more than a…whore…might feel…” Jonathan suggested. Steve put his hands on his hips and looked at Nancy.

“I don’t care how they feel about each other. It’s us I’m worried about…” Steve grumbled looking around their room.

 “That makes sense…” Jonathan said softly, then moved slowly to where a rug was laid out on the floor, “I’ll…sleep here. You two can stay in the bed…maybe create separate sides…if…”

“No, Jonathan, we’re not going to do this like that…” Nancy said, touching the bed, “We’ll make this work…somehow…Jesus, is everything here going to be like this? Does everything have to be a fight or something bad?”

“Maybe…” Steve grumbled, “It’s like…whatever good is in these people is bleed out in that scar they all have on their face. It’s an evil opposite world…”

“That’s, not exactly right…” Jonathan muttered, looking down. He’d come up with a theory about the world they were in, but this was the first time he’d get to share it with somebody who wasn’t from the “Mirror World.”

“What do you mean? These people look like us, but act the completely different than any of us do. They…”

“Aren’t opposites…” Jonathan started. This wasn’t going to be pretty, but he wanted someone to hear his opinion. “They’re actually pretty similar to us. They act like we’d be expected to behave, in these circumstances. They are what I’d describe as our worst versions…our basest, or meanest, or least caring version of ourselves…they are reflections of our bad parts…”

“Jonathan, what did they do to your brain? What are you saying…”

“Steve…if you could have anything job you wanted right now…would you not be in a position of power in Hawkins?” Jonathan asked. Steve drew back, then shook his head.

“No, I would…I…I’m going to college and going to…”

“To what? Study political science so that you can rise to power legitimately in our world…” Jonathan muttered, “But, somewhere in your heart, part of you would probably take an easy way out, if you could. To simply take what you need to become strong, the strongest around…to become what your parents don’t see you as capable of. Besides, don’t you ever wish you could be smarter than everyone around you, long enough so that you could rub it in their faces…” Steve stared at him, and opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find anything to say. Probably because he saw that Jonathan was right. Jonathan had thought a lot about this. He sighed, then turned to Nancy.

“Jonathan, what are you about to…”

“Nancy, you are strong, and incredibly intelligent. And you are skilled, with guns, with most tools and even some technology…But somewhere in your heart, haven’t you ever wanted to be too strong and too skilled for anyone to threaten those you love…your brother, your parents…us…” Nancy turned from Jonathan and rubbed her eyes, “I know you would do almost anything to…”

“No Jonathan. Sometimes, I just want to be the best. At everything. And I want that so that…so I can do and be whatever I want at the moment. To have and take what I want…It’s not to protect others…it’s to give me power… It’s not selfless, it’s heartless and cold…” Nancy started to cry, tears dripping down her face as Jonathan shook his head, frustrated with himself for even starting to talk about this. Steve started to reach out to her, then clenched his fist and looked back at Jonathan.

“That Nancy is not this girl. And I’m not that crazy man in the throne. Besides, what about you, Mr. Thinker? You want to explain why your copy can’t seem to look anyone in the eye and spends a lot of time muttering weakly, mostly about my counterpart?”

“I…I’m shy, you know that. But if I really lived in my shell, and learned to embrace my sense of worthlessness, I’d be afraid to look anyone in the face. Then…if you or Nancy…treated me like a human, I’d probably do exactly what you’d say. Even if it meant hurting people. In the darkest part of my heart, I’d treat others cruelly if it gave me a sense of self-worth…in your eyes…”

“Jonathan…I don’t…I couldn’t ever have that power…” Nancy said, sighing. Jonathan shook his head.

“You could…and sometimes you do…sometimes…you both do…” Jonathan said.

“I…Byers…what are you trying to…?” Steve started to ask, when he was interrupted by Mirror Lucas pushing through the doorway.

“Hey…enough with the philosophy…” Steve, Nancy and Jonathan all turned to see Mirror Lucas, looking over the three, with Mirror Dustin tapping his fingers together just behind him. Jonathan could see that further down the hall, their Lucas and their Dustin were whispering in angry tones to each other, “It’s time to go. Lord Harrington is waiting for us outside. Come on…” Steve groaned and Nancy sighed, then both stomped out of the room, refusing to look at each other or at Jonathan, who dropped his head and started to follow them. Those people or that place must’ve done something to him. Or he was really stupid. He’d insulted both Steve and Nancy, explained how they could be just as evil as what they hated about this place, then he told them he’d serve Nancy and Steve. _And Steve!_ Why would he say that? How effective was Mirror Steve’s torture? Jonathan considered this as he walked out of the doorway, but before he could turn down the hallway, Mirror Lucas held out a hand and pushed him back with a frown.

“No, we can risk you going out at dusk. Demidogs and vines could be all over you in a heartbeat. The Mind-flayer wants what it lost…a Mike, a Will and a Jonathan. I don’t think it will discriminate as to which one belongs where…” Jonathan stared at the boy for a few seconds, then grimaced in anger at what might have been a trick or further manipulation.

“Take me to my brother then. I want to…” Jonathan started, but Mirror Lucas held out a hand and cut him off with a sigh. Every once in a while, it seemed to Jonathan that Mirror Lucas didn’t really enjoy the Mirror world’s way of doing things or the games it’s people played.

“Just relax. You’re not being imprisoned again. In fact, Will’s coming to you, along with your Mike. Someone is going to take you to a war-room so that you all can figure out how we might utilize you guys as something other than bait…” Mirror Lucas said.

“I… need a second with Byers…” Steve muttered, turning back to Jonathan. Jonathan felt heat rising in his face and tried not to look into Steve’s eyes. The older boy put a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, however, and soon it was nearly impossible for Jonathan to keep his eyes from glancing up and down the exposed skin that the vest revealed.

“I’m sorry Steve…I shouldn’t…”

“Listen to me Byers. They may be our worst versions. But we’re not. We’re going to keep being who we are, the good parts, no matter what this place throws at us, right?”

“…Okay…alright…” Jonathan whispered, then leaned in and rested his head on Steve’s chest, “I’m sorry…I…this place…its…made me…” Jonathan struggled out, feeling tears welling in his eyes. Steve put one arm around him, squeezing him and filling him with such warmth.

“Jonathan…” Nancy said from behind him. Then Jonathan felt arms slip around his back. His first instinct was to draw back, to press closer into Steve. But the warmth surrounding him on both sides felt so good, and he couldn’t do anything but remain engulfed in the arms that offered him protection.

“This place is evil…so we’ve got to be good…” Nancy said.

“This place is evil…” Jonathan repeated slowly, “So we’ve got to be good…”

 

**End Part I**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's part one. Hope you'll stick around for part too. Again, sorry I've been so slow about posting, but I'll try to stay more consistent in June!


	11. Chapter 11: Wrist-rockets

**Part II:**

_Lucas_

“Come with me, just you, Lucas…” Mirror Lucas ordered. Lucas looked up from his small twin bed over at the whimpering Dustin, then at his mirror counterpart who was standing in the doorway. The x shaped scar on the boy’s cheek caught Lucas’ eye, and he looked it over a moment, considered how rugged and handsome he’d look with a scar like that himself. A new sob from Dustin snapped Lucas back, and he put a hand on the boy and rubbed his shoulder.

“I’ll be okay. And you will too. You’ll see. We’ll beat the Mind-flayer and go home…”

“O…okay…” Dustin struggled, “Don’t get killed by him…”

“He won’t…the mirror version of me...he’s not like the others…”

“Hmph…” Mirror Lucas snorted, then waved his counterpart forward. Lucas squeezed Dustin’s shoulder again, then followed the boy out of the room. They’d only taken a few steps before Mirror Lucas leaned in and whispered, “You really aren’t concerned? By us?” Lucas shook his head in response.

“You and Mirror Dustin don’t scare me. Nor do you guys seem like you’re actually bad guys…”

“We’re not bad…” Mirror Lucas started, “But we’re not sweet little goodie goodies too stupid to know how to fight or kill…” he turned and looked over Lucas, “But I can tell you, at least, are the same way…willing to do what it takes to protect those you care about. That’s why we’re going this way…” Mirror Lucas curved to the left, away from the main staircase, and led Lucas to a set of back steps. They passed a set of long, triangular windows that let a harsh, yellow light into the room. Lucas noted that it seemed like even the sky looked more sinister in that world.

“Are we going to…the dungeon?”

“No, that’s two levels down. Below the Agony Chamber. No, I’m taking you here because Lord Harrington wants us to go scouting, and I’d appreciate somebody with sense watching my back…” Mirror Lucas got to the bottom of the stairs, then slammed a button that revealed what had to be an armory. It was a beige rotunda, with bright floodlights over several different categories of weapons. The weapons were all kinds of guns, knives and even some swords, with numerous sizes and preferences for each. Lucas started wandering the room, going along a set of what he assumed to be assault rifles, then past semi-automatics, older, mounted machine-guns, and finally an enormous collection of different pistols and shotguns. Lucas saw the types of pistols Mirror Nancy carried and picked up one carefully. It was large; Lucas could barely hold it in one hand, and it had a long barrel with a big, round…thing, under the barrel. It was a strange looking gun to Lucas, that is, until Mirror Lucas spoke.

“Interesting…” Mirror Lucas said as Lucas gripped and took aim with the weapon, “You trained with weapons as dangerous as beam-ray blasters?” Lucas’s eyes grew wide as it became clear to him that this wasn’t just a big pistol and he quickly put the gun back.

“Ahem, no, I just…was admiring…”

“Clearly…” Mirror Lucas sighed and crossed his arms, “So, what weapon exactly were you trained with?” Lucas hesitated, then shrugged.

“Our…uh…training, is not as focused on weapons as yours perhaps…but I generally use a…wrist-rocket…” Lucas then noticed how stupid it sounded to say it like that. His “wrist-rocket” was a slingshot that he could launch small stones from. His “weapon” wouldn’t be anything next to these terrifying device. However, when Lucas turned back to his counterpart, Mirror Lucas had a look of surprise on his face.

“Wrist-rocket?” Mirror Lucas asked.

“Yeah, like a…” Lucas started to raise his hand and point, but Mirror Lucas moved to a small container underneath the pistols and pulled out something that looked like a really big bracelet with a pistol barrel on the top. As Mirror Lucas put it on, Lucas could see that it was almost an exact copy of his wrist-rocket, except for instead of a slingshot, the device’s top opened up to reveal a gun.

“Like this?”

“That’s…it’s…almost the same…”

“Good, I’d hoped so…” Mirror Lucas grabbed a copy of the weapon he wearing and and threw it at Lucas, “Here, this is for you…don’t let Lord Harrington know I gave you that.” Lucas smiled at his counterpart, then attached the device to his hand and held it up. Even with the clearly more deadly pistol barrel, it felt and handled the same. Lucas, excitedly, aimed the wrist-rocket and pressed where the slingshot would pop up. When he pressed it, the wrist-rocket’s barrel blasted a slug right into the wall directly to the right of the doorway. The bullet crashed into the metal, then exploded in a flash of light and sound. Both Lucas’s were flung back, and when they sat up again, there was a big black mark on the wall. Mirror Lucas grabbed Lucas’s wrist-rocket and pressed the side, which on Lucas’ wrist-rocket withdrew the slingshot. On this one, it pulled the barrel back and disarmed the weapon.

“That was…my bad. My wrist-rocket’s a little different…” Lucas muttered. Mirror Lucas blew out his breath then sighed.

“Actually, that was my fault. I gave you my wrist-rocket, which was armed from my last patrol. Its not surprising you fired it by accident…” Mirror Lucas muttered. They looked at each other, then at the black mark on the wall, and they actually started to laugh. The mark was huge and somehow silly looking and pretty soon, they were hooting, hollering and speculating about how the others would react to the mark on the wall. Perhaps they were also laughing at the fact that the two Lucas’s now both armed with brand knew, fancy looking wrist-rockets. Which, as they now knew, fired explosive slugs. Lucas took off his wrist-rocket, folded it up  and put it in his cargo shorts' back pocket, then Mirror Lucas grabbed two small pistols and twirled the weapons around his fingers.

“You need pistols too?” Lucas asked. Mirror Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“No, not for me. These are so that Dustin has some sort of weapon, just in case. Does your Dustin use pistols?”

“My Dustin is not much for fighting…”

“Mine either. But I’d rather he be safe than sorry. Besides, more weapons for us, just in case. Now, we’ve got to get your Steve and Nancy so we can go out before the sun sets…”

“Where are we going? Out on patrol, I mean?” Lucas asked as he followed the pistol twirling Mirror Lucas ahead of him.

“Out to Eugene’s farm…” Mirror Lucas raised an eyebrow, then sighed, “Though, most of the land on that side of Hawkins is Eugene’s now that he’s destroyed the fields and buried Merrill alive…” Lucas’s eyes grew wide as he imagined the gentle and sweet farmer Eugene brutally killing the gruff and easily angered Merrill. Lucas fought with this image in his head until they arrived out front of Steve, Nancy and Jonathan’s room. Both Dustins were standing nearby, and Lucas moved to his Dustin and grabbed his arm.

“Hey, I got myself and you a weapon…” Lucas whispered.

“A weapon? What for? What are we going to do with…” Dustin glanced at Mirror Lucas, who was now talking to the those inside the room, “Weapons against these guys? My idiot of a copy told me that he was an expert in hand to hand combat and was on track to be an assassin…”

“Are you sure he’s telling the truth? My copy didn’t think yours was very…adept…” Lucas noticed the Mirror versions of Nancy and Steve come from the room, eyed them a moment, then looked back to Dustin, “I wonder what Mirror Nancy and Steve were doing with our versions.

“Probably something gross. Anyway, I’m not trying to die fighting someone with lunacy, okay, so let’s talk to Mike and Will and come up with a better plan than using a couple weapons to…fight them…” Dustin glanced back at Nancy, shivering visibly. Mirror Steve had gone back in, but Mirror Nancy was standing, with her arms crossed for a moment, then glanced at the two before following him. And Lucas saw something off, both about the look she gave and about her face in general.

“What are they doing? We have to go out to the farm…”

“Look, I’m just telling you, I don’t think we stand much chance against those two…I mean…look at Mirror Steve’s arms. And Mirror Nancy’s…”

“That’s not the Mirror versions!” Lucas yelled, pushing Dustin aside. Their Steve and their Nancy, wearing what had to be the most terrifying looking outfits Lucas had ever seen. Steve grumbled as he left his room and crossed those big, muscular arms and Nancy pulled at her top, as if trying to cover some of her exposed belly.

“What are you wearing?” Dustin asked.

“What aren’t they wearing is a better question. Wow, I am seeing a lot of Steve and Nancy. A lot more than I’d ever hoped…” Lucas muttered.

“You’d seen a lot more of Steve had you been here a few minutes earlier…” Nancy muttered. Steve shot both Lucas and her dark looks.

“I was told to put this on…and I wasn’t given a choice. If I had any say…”

“We don’t have time. My Steve might punish us already for being so late…” Mirror Lucas said, grabbing Lucas’ shoulder and pushing him forward, “Come on, to the main staircase, go!” Lucas jerked himself from Mirror Lucas grip and followed as his counterpart led the group down the hallway. The two went through the side door together that led them to the balcony overlooking the main entrance. Lucas went to the edge of the balcony and looked down at the three mirror world figures standing below, who were clearly waiting for them. Mirror Nancy looked roughly as she did earlier, only now she sported a long, one-handed shotgun in addition to her normal long barrel, laser pistol. Billy wore what looked like heavy armor, a large black cover on his upper body and reinforced pants. A sash was tied around his waist and a pistol hung on his right thigh while a knife was jammed between the sash and his waist on his left. Finally, in between the armored Mirror Billy and armed Mirror Nancy, was Mirror Steve, sporting a brand new outfit. His top was something like a tank top, except that on the left side, the thin strap wrapped around him below his peck, revealing his nipple and all but a small slither of his arm and shoulder. He wore black leather shorts, and over his whole right side was a black and red cape that reached down to his knee and gave him an asymmetrical look. The outfit was commanding, dominating and sensual all at once, and Lucas couldn’t image his Steve wearing it, but also couldn’t imagine it working on anyone but this Mirror Steve. As the rest of their group arrived at the balcony, Mirror Steve flipped the cape back and turned toward his counterpart, briefly revealing a large, semi-automatic weapon strapped to his back. Lucas could also see the man was also leaning on a particularly deadly looking nailed bat.

“Alternative Steve…what a pleasure that you could join us. I feared that perhaps that Nancy and Jonathan might have become so engrossed by your nakedness that they would be submitting to their baser instincts…” Mirror Steve flipped the cape again, and started to walk toward the entrance, “Come, let’s go before the sun sets…ride with me in the front, Steve. Nancy, take the rest to the cargo bed…” Lucas glanced at Mirror Lucas, who shrugged.

“We’re riding in the troop transport…this should be fun…” Mirror Lucas said, then leaned in to Lucas and smiled, “Hold on tight to your wrist-rocket. Billy only wears that armor when there is going to be trouble…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. A Different Type of Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry I've been MIA. But, I'm going to try my best to finish this story with the next month or so.   
> Hope you enjoy. Thanks for comments/kudos.

_Will_

“ _Will…_ ” it whispered, ominously, darkly, “ _You’re not supposed to be here…but I’m glad you are…_ ” Will looked up and saw the massive, evil  figure. The Mind-flayer was towering over the town, though, this time, Will noted that it wasn’t his Hawkins. Instead, when the Mind-flayer was illuminated by a bright burst of red lightning behind it, it revealed the brutal statue of one man killing another in front of the town hall. Will looked over the town in front of him, then smirked. He wasn’t him, not for that moment. He was the other Will.

“You’re confused, Mind-flayer…I’m not who you are after…” Will and Mirror Will said at once. The merged boy ran a hand through his spiked hair and then let his hand trace down his scar. And, despite the disturbingly strange experience, Will felt real badass with that mark on his face.

“ _No…you are…you must be…_ ”

“I’m not the Will you want…” the Wills said together. Who’s doing was this? Mirror Will? Or was the Mind-flayer having trouble targeting correctly? Or would this happen to the dreams of everyone and their copy here in this world?

“ _No…Will, I know you, we have been together. So cold but so…comfortable…_ ”

“I have no clue what you are talking about…” the Wills said. There was another flash of lighting, then another, and it seemed almost as if the Mind-flayer’s anger was growing.

“ _You will be mine! Mine!_ ” This voice was roaring in Will’s ears, but it wasn’t the cruel, ominous whispers that had talked to him earlier. These were almost like demands, and Will swore he heard a hint of desperation. Or, one of the Will’s did at least.

“Careful…you might give your game away…” the Wills muttered. This seemed to enrage the Mind-flayer, as it began to roar dramatically. It lifted a great arm above their heads, then brought it down at the Wills. Unlike the smoke and spore mix Will had always known the Mind-flayer to be, when this great arm came down, it destroyed the town hall in an explosion of metal and stone. Soon the arm was on top of Will, and he jerked up in his bed, screaming. Or, their bed. Mike, who had been napping in a chair on the opposite side of the room, jumped to his feet and rushed over to Will.

“Will!”

“I…I’m…okay…” Will touched his body, then his head. There was no other sound or whisper in his ear. Will sighed deeply.

“It was just a dream…about the Mind-flayer…”

“The Mind-flayer…”

“Yeah…but it’s over now…” Will was about to lay back down and when Mirror Will burst through the door to Mike and Will’s room and stomped over to the bed.

“God-dammit, you weakling!”

“Hey!” Mike said. Will drew back in terror, however.

“You…you were there…in the dream…”

“Hell yeah I was there. I told you to take a nap while Lord Harrington and the others are gone, not contact our enemy and give away our location…”

“…sorry…” Will said weakly, dropping his head. He felt fear rise in him. A fear that he’d thought he’d put behind, but was coming to him again. This was just like the last time he’d been possessed. He’d been a spy, but for the Mind-flayer, not for his friends. Despite his actual sincerity in the apology, Mirror Will was not convinced, and looked ready to attack his counterpart. Mike, however, had gotten in front of Mirror Will, and was up in his face.

“Hey! Will didn’t do anything but go to sleep! He can’t help it if that thing reaches out to him! And how do you even know?”

“I know because we shared that fucking dream! The Mind-flayer dropped his arm on the town hall. How do you think he might know where we are, except that this little bitch fessed up?”

“Or, maybe the town hall is the center of this god-damned fortress you’ve made out of this hellscape, and this place is where it makes the most sense for us to be!” Mike yelled. Will felt something stirring in him from how furiously Mike was defending him, “In fact, maybe it wasn’t my Will, but you who gave away the location! This is your world…and it knows your brother! Not too crazy that it might know you!”

“You…” Mirror Will’s face was now dark with hate, “You would dare accuse me of betraying my lord by informing on him? Claims like that usually lead to an execution…”

“Then back off before somebody cuts your head off!” Mike roared, then shoved Mirror Will. The boy was thrown off by this, and stumbled back a few steps, then grabbed Mike and slammed him into the nearest wall. Will knew from their brief connection that Mirror Will was much more muscular and better built, frankly he was probably even stronger than his Jonathan, much less the scrawny Mike. Will felt frozen as his evil copy threatened his best friend.

“Why don’t you say that again?” Mirror Will spat through gritted teeth, “Tell me to back off again…try it…”

“Back off!” Mike yelled, punching Mirror Will in the face and sending the boy reeling back. The hit couldn’t have been that hard, Will knew how weak Mike was from arm-wrestling with him. But the hit was well-placed, and had some momentum behind it, leaving a small cut on Mirror Will’s cheek-bone. The boy looked at Mike in confusion, then touched his face where a drop of blood was sliding down his cheek. A small bit stained his fingertips, and Mirror Will gazed in amazement at the blood on his hand.

“Mike…never…could have made me bleed…”

“I’m not your Mike!” Mike yelled. Mirror Will looked at him, his face changed from anger to something very strange. In fact, Will could only believe it because the boy was a copy of himself. It was…infatuation.

“Mike…come on, hit me again…”

“What? No, just…” Mirror Will rushed Mike, tackling him and knocking him to the ground. Mirror Will grabbed at Mike’s wrist but could only grab one. Or, maybe chose to only grab one. Mike used the other to give Mirror Will a smack, then flipped over so that he was on top of the bigger boy. Mirror Will growled then grabbed Mike’s shirt and started to rip it open. Mike drew back, and knocked Mirror Will’s hands away. Will could only watch in astonishment as Mike pushed Mirror Will’s hands behind his head.

“Stop fighting! What are you doing?” Mike demanded. Mirror Will growled at him, then started to bring his legs up toward his body.

“But where’s the fun in me being passive? You have to earn it! Hold me down and take me!” Mirror Will demanded. Mike looked back at the boy’s legs, now moving sideways and exposing some of his lower body to him, then up at the boy’s face now had a sensually smile.

“Take you where? I don’t…” Mike trailed off and his eyes grew wide as he understood. He started to get up, when a voice rung out from the door.

“Enough, Will. You can’t seem to behave at all around this Mike. Lord Harrington would be very frustrated to learn that you…used him…without his consent…” Will turned to see the voice was coming from Mirror Jonathan, who was standing upright and looking a lot tougher than Will had seen him since he’d arrived. Mirror Jonathan only met Will’s eyes briefly before looking back at Mirror Will.

“What do you want?” Mirror Will questioned, pushing Mike off him and sitting up.

“To take the other Will and Mike to their Jonathan and begin discussing plans for defeating the Mind-flayer. Indulge in your fantasies later…”

“You get to indulge in your fantasies every day, concubine…” Mirror Will grumbled, standing quickly and going to his brother.

“Steve earned me as a companion when he saved me…you could earn a companion as well, if you achieved something other than preying on and beating up the weak…” Mirror Jonathan chided. Mirror Will made a loud huffing noise, and then he stomped out of the room, bumping hard into his brother. Will watched him go, then looked at Mike and the remains of the shirt he had been wearing.

“That’s bad…”

“Yeah…I probably can’t go out with this back home…”

“I feel like this is partly my fault. You can…have mine…” Will said, starting to take his shirt off. Mike held out a hand to stop him, but Mirror Jonathan snapped at them.

“Stop. We don’t have time to delay. Come, your brother is waiting…” Mirror Jonathan ordered. Will glanced at him, then allowed his shirt to fall back into place. The boy in front of him looked and moved like brother did, but it was clear from the way he spoke that this was a different man.

“Sorry…I’m…I’m sorry,” Will muttered. Mirror Jonathan glanced over him and sighed.

“It’s not your fault, Will. It’s my brother’s. You and he are…very different…and, I don’t think we were ever meant to interact like this. Our universes were meant to stay separate, and I told Steve as much but…he listened to Nancy this time…” Mirror Jonathan blew out his breath, then waved for them to follow. Will glanced at Mike, then got out of bed and pulled on his shorts. Mike put a hand on his shoulder, then started out after Mirror Jonathan. Will could see pretty clearly how badly his counterpart had ripped Mike’s shirt, and thought Mike looked dumb walking around with parts of his chest and stomach showing. Will was about to offer Mike his shirt again when Mirror Jonathan spoke up. 

“Stop, Will. I’ll have someone get Mike a new shirt. Sorry, again, for my brother’s…behavior. Once Mom left us alone with Dad…he lost his sense of self-control,” this caused Will to stop short. He tried again to remember this woman wasn’t his true mother. But he simply couldn’t, the thoughts were too incompatible.

“Mom…abandoned us?” Will asked shakily. Mirror Jonathan turned, looked over the boy, then frowned.

“My mother is not yours. Joyce Byers of this world is the only woman born in Hawkins to earn two Conquistador Medals, one for her suppression action in El Salvador, and the other as part of a parachute landing platoon in Grenada…”

“…that does not sound like Mom…” Will muttered. Mirror Jonathan seemed almost angry for a few moments more, then sighed deeply and turned back toward their destination and continued walking. Will and Mike followed, Will deciding he’d stay quiet the rest of the way.

“Joyce returned to Hawkins after her victory and released from service. She then told my dad that she would be taking care of Will and I. Without him. After I was dragged to the Upside-down, she…forced the situation, seizing custody and driving Dad from the town…”

“Wow…she doesn’t seem…”

“Like a good woman? She’s not good. And neither is Will, who is so like her. Had Steve and Nancy not rescued me…I suspect she may have left me in the Upside-down to rot…” Will could barely believe his ears. He couldn’t imagine any version of Joyce Byers doing anything like that. And yet…his gentleness and love for others he thought he got from his mother. He was also much closer to her than Jonathan was. Maybe, his mirror version got his cruelty and madness from her in the same way.

“In here…” Mirror Jonathan said, holding out a hand to a doorway. Will stopped in his place, then noticed he was gripping Mike’s hand tightly again. He let go, feeling like a weird, desperate puppy, and tried to mount the courage to go by himself anywhere in this world. But the idea of his mother being so unkind or mean to anyone left Will in pieces, and he felt himself losing what little bravery he’d managed to summon. However, his Jonathan soon stepped out of the room.

“There you are. I thought they might be trying to trick me again. Come on, you two. You’re going to want to see this…” Jonathan offered, giving Will a small, encouraging smile that made the boy feel so much safer. Will very carefully moved toward his brother, and followed him into the room, with Mike on his heels. When Will stepped into the room, he froze, and could not move again. All around him were pieces of paper, taped or nailed into the walls, with crayon drawings of various parts of tunnels and connections spreading around and throughout Hawkins. These papers created a long, winding pathway that Will remembered so well.

“Mike drew these, while he was possessed and before he had to be killed…we thought you might be able to help interpret them…” Mirror Jonathan said. Will glanced around the room, and saw with terror that not only did he remember each and every pathway and tunnel, meaning it was exact copy of their world, he also recognized parts that were extensions and finishing marks of paths he only knew from what the Mind-flayer had expressed as desires.

“These are the tunnels…” Mike said, looking around the room. Will stepped slowly to a central hub of the tunnels and touched it gently.

“Yes…” Will whispered, his voice shaking, “And…they’re almost complete…”


	13. Devastation

_Steve_

“Come now, Steve…stop being so forlorn…we’re going to hand a crushing defeat to our mutual enemy, together. And further, I believe you look truly extraordinary in this costume…though I suppose that is a bit like complimenting one’s image in a mirror.” Mirror Steve reached over to where Steve was sitting and began adjusted the vest he’d given his counterpart. Steve considered that this might be how a reflection would feel. He let Mirror Steve finish, then turned to the window of the cab of the troop transport. All around them was the corrupted version of Hawkins. He’d driven and been driven on this same street, to Merrill’s farmland, where the Mind-flayer had poisoned the crops and fields in their world. Except he wasn’t headed to the grumpy Merrill’s farm here, instead, he was headed to where the otherwise kind and friendly Eugene had murdered a man and claimed that land. Steve sighed, whispering how terrible this place was to himself, then turned to Mirror Steve as he patted down Steve’s vest.

“I’m not…forlorn,” Steve tried, “And thank you. The cape and…clothes…look good on you …” Steve said, trying to be like a reflection. Maybe, then, he would attract less of his counterpart’s disturbing attention. Mirror Steve smirked at the compliment, then scoffed and patted Steve’s back.

“Pssh…No need for false flattery…” Mirror Steve muttered, but nonetheless flipped his cape as dramatically as he could from his seat, “I do appreciate the sentiment though…Alternative Steve, I should also apologize, for my earlier striking you and gripping your excellent hair. I have to keep up appearances, but it felt unfittingly hostile. I promise to make it up to you…”

“You don’t have to…” Steve muttered, “Appearances are obviously important here…”

“Alternative Steve, I don’t know how things work in your world, but here, should I display any undue weakness…” Mirror Steve paused a moment, then tapped his chin, “It would almost certainly result in a revolt, similar to the one I used to come to power. My position as town-lord is still held together by a feeble set of alliances…my youth and inexperience have led some to question my reign…” Mirror Steve looked at Billy, who remained silent, then frowned.

“Some of the people still do not trust me. When I was inaugurated, they bowed…but not low enough…the fear Dr. Brenner used to rule…I cannot recreate it. At least, not until I have slayed the deadliest monster to ever threaten this town…” Steve looked at the furious Mirror Steve and tried his best not to do anything that would direct the anger toward him. Luckily, Billy stopped the truck a few moments later, got out and swiftly opened Mirror’s Steve’s door, then came around and opened Steve’s door.

“Watch your step, sir…” Billy said, helping Steve get out of the car. Steve looked over Billy a moment, then the man nodded to him. He could get used to Hargrove serving him, and this Billy was much nicer than the jerk he faced back home. So far, friendly Mirror Billy was the best thing he’d found in this world. And that said a lot about the world.

As Steve stepped out of the truck, his foot squished into the soaked dirt of the farmland, and his nostrils were filled with the stench of decay, so much so that he started to cough. All around him, he heard the sounds of crows cawing and flies buzzing back and forth over puddles around the swampy land.

“Jesus…this is horrible…much worse than our world,” Steve muttered, covering his nose with his hand. The first thing he noticed was a deadening mist hanging over everything, which itself stunk of decay. It also made it hard to see exactly what was in front of him. Steve could pick out the vague outlines of what had been rows for crops, but they seemed to be mostly flooded out or filled with debris. He could also make out a house in the distance which he recognized as Merrill’s. Or, in his world it was Merrill’s. Beyond were the older man’s famed apples trees, though in this world, those were nothing but husks filled with squawking crows and ominous vultures. Steve looked over the devastated farmland for a few seconds, then remembered that he had brought his bandana and googles with him. He quickly tied the bandana around his face and felt like he could instantly breathe easier because of it. Then, he put the goggles on, which freed his eyes from the flies that had started buzzing around his face.

“Excellent idea,” Mirror Steve said, and turned back to where Billy was unloading the parts to a weapon, “My mask! Hurry, Hargrove!” Billy slammed a fist on his chest, then went to the cargo bed and returned with what looked to Steve something like a World War II gas mask. Billy came to Mirror Steve’s side and put the mask over his face, then flipped a switch on the side which activated the breathing system. A burst of static also activated a radio system that Steve assumed allowed his Mirror version to speak through the mask.

“That’s…fancy…” Steve grumbled through his bandana. Mirror Steve took a few breathes through his gas mask, which sounded a lot scarier than Steve first expected, then turned back to where Mirror Nancy was putting an even more terrifying gas mask with spikes and sharply pointed eye slits. Meanwhile, his Nancy, coughing and covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve, was trying to help the younger boys unload. Steve watched for a few moments, then started toward her until Mirror Steve threw out an arm.

“Hargrove. Help the poor girl. And get her a bandana or something…” Mirror Steve said. Amazingly, other than a small amount of static, it sounded just like his normal tone. Which was what Steve thought he’d sound like if he was trying to talk arrogantly. Steve watched as Billy saluted again, then went into the cargo bed and started pulling out supplies, including a long, colorful bandana that Nancy swiftly tied around her face. The other Nancy loudly clicked her tongue through her mask, then started fiddling with the pistol at her hip. Steve watched a few moments, then looked back over the devastated farmland and shook his head.

“Steve! Why don’t you call someone higher up about this? Like, the governor. Or somebody who could talk to the King? Reagan, right?” Mirror Steve turned to Steve quickly and clenched a fist in front of him.

“Silence! Do not consider such a possibility! If the Governor or High King were to believe I was not capable of maintaining control over my lands, I would be quickly replaced, as would anyone working with me. And, if the situation was deemed as unsolvable by either Reagan or Orr, there is also the possibility of this town being destroyed with a nuclear weapon to prevent the spread of these monsters…”

“Good God…” Steve grunted, then looked back at Nancy and decided he’d ask a less intense question, though one he still might regret, “Alright, what about her? Do you…love her? That Nancy?” Mirror Steve turned to look over the woman, then turned back to his counterpart, taking a long breath through his mask.

“Do I love Nancy? What kind of ridiculous world do you live in? Love is for fairy tales. Here, you have to take or earn what you want …or…” Mirror Steve trailed off and clenched his fist.

“Or?”

“Or…you die. I earned Nancy’s companionship. And I earned Byers, because I wanted them both. And now I have them…” Mirror Steve began to grind his teeth and turned to look back toward the cargo bed of the troop transport, “But sometimes, that girl acts like I stole her and Byers in a god-damned Viking raid. I do so much for her…and she only ever demands and complains…” Mirror Steve said with a bitter and frustrated tone. Steve could actually appreciate the way his counterpart felt about this at least.

“Nothing is ever good enough…” Steve said. Mirror Steve breathed deeply and looked at the boy again, then put a hand on Steve’s shoulder.

“I knew it. We’d be able to sympathize over our shared plight. Truly, I’m glad I brought you here, someone who can actually understand me. And that I can understand. We both know the difficult of coupling with Nancy. Jonathan…Jonathan is easy to please, and demands so little. But Nancy…ugh…”

“Yeah, well…I’m…not with Jonathan in our world. Actually, it’s really not okay in our world for two guys to…”

“I know. Your Jonathan told me. And I’d tell you that your world is missing half of life’s pleasure, but…you already know this…being that you have the same tendencies as me…” Steve’s eyes widened. His deepest darkest secret, his occasional thoughts about other guys, his embarrassing erections he had to hide in the locker room, and his having seen every movie Tom Cruise was in multiple times. He didn’t even really admit it, not even to himself. But, then again, his talking to Mirror Steve was like speaking with a reflection.

“Don’t fear, Steve,” Mirror Steve said reassuringly, “Your secret is safe. But, my dear copy…here, taking what you want is more important than any Christian or Western norm. Which means, you can use your Jonathan to the fullest extent in this world. And, of course, I wouldn’t mind allowing my Jonathan to help, if neither of you feels…comfortable…by yourselves…”

“I…uh…” Steve struggled how to proceed when Mirror Nancy sloshed her way through the marshy farmland and pointed.

“Steve, it’s offloaded…”

“Excellent…Billy, you’ll guard me and Steve as we go. Nancy, take your copy and some of the boys and fan out. See what you can find…” Mirror Nancy hit her chest in response and started away. After a moment, Billy came over to Steve, pulling some large, metallic cylinder. He put it over Mirror Steve’s shoulder, and then the two fiddled with a tube that connected to his gun. Steve looked at the weapon Mirror Steve was now hoisting and hoped dearly that it was just a flamethrower.

“Shall we?” Mirror Steve asked, cocking his weapon. Steve was about to agree when Billy flung a nail bat at Steve’s feet. The boy glanced at it, then back at his counterpart.

“That’s it? All I get is a bat?” Steve asked. Mirror Steve scoffed.

“Don’t think our heart to heart changes facts. I could have given you nothing…Instead, I gave you a weapon you can use, but is no threat to me.” Mirror Steve signaled forward with a jerk of his weapon, then Steve sighed and started into the marsh, gripping his bat.

“You said this is worse than what happened to your world?” Mirror Steve asked. Steve looked back at his counterpart, and could see that behind him, Billy was in a much tamer looking gas mask with wide eyes and a relatively small respirator.

“Yeah…we had some fields poisoned and a lot of flies. But you could…at least, still breath and walk in our world. Here, it seems like all this land has just been…”

“Devastated…” Billy finished, looking around slowly, “This is what I image most of the central American territories looked like after the rebellions were crushed…that this would be part of Hawkins…”

“Hargrove, cut the chatter. Steve, what caused the poison in your world?”

“The Mind-flayer spread out…root…tunnel things…”

“Roots?”

“Yeah, they were long, underground tunnels. Really smelly inside…with vines and demidogs. The tunnels led back to Hawkins lab and had a central hub about a quarter mile from this farm…”

“Just as Hopper claimed…” Billy murmured. He turned suddenly, holding up his pistol and keeping one hand on his knife.

“Hmm…that might be the case there, but not here. Hopper’s wild suggestions that there is massive underground network wasn’t substantiated by my officers. All of my soldiers who were dragged down into the dirt have never been heard from, and attempts to dig them up have proved fruitless… besides the fact that Merrill was buried alive…Eugene would have certainly mentioned it if he found an underground cavern.”

“Well, Steve, then I don’t know. That’s what it was in our world. Our Hopper dug up near the source of the poison and it opened up into a big tunnel…”

“Sir…should we try to dig again? Perhaps your soldiers missed something with the initial excavations…”

“We could be digging non-stop all around this farmland if we don’t have some idea where to look…” Mirror Steve countered. He continued instructing Billy, but Steve noticed something in the ground that caught his eye. Something black with brown tones. He leaned down, and as he reached for the object, it exploded in a cloud of flies, which buzzed widely about and caused him to trip and fall into the marsh. Steve looked back at the object, and saw it wasn’t black, but white and red, as it was the remains of a human hand. Steve, swallowing back vomit, reached out slowly to tug at the brown cloth which surrounded the wrist behind the hand. The cloth was ripped but felt like something he’d be familiar with. Through dirt and grime, he felt the fluff of the wool interior of a jacket. The exact same type of jacket that, all seasons, summer, winter, fall, spring, Merrill would wear. Steve pulled the jacket lightly, and saw that it was connected to the arm, also partially buried, and he continued following up the remains. Then, in surprise and terror, he recognized that just past the shoulder and halfway exposed, was a ratty and partially destroyed black hat and below that, the empty eye socket of what he assumed to be Merrill’s skull.

“Jesus Christ!” Steve yelled as he saw the body. Mirror Steve and Billy turned to the dead form, and both raised weapons toward it.

“Steve, step back…”

“Jesus…wait, guys…maybe, Merrill wasn’t buried. Maybe he was dragged under, then your Eugene claimed…”

“Alternative Steve! Listen to me! Step back!”

“Why? What’s wrong with…” before Steve could finish asking, something started rumbling near the dead form of Merrill, then a vine burst out and wrapped itself around Steve’s right arm. He turned, gripping his bat in his left, but could only scream before he was suddenly pulled, with Merrill’s remains, down into mushy earth. He was dragged through dirt and debris and felt himself covered in it, then, he was falling, slamming into harder, better packed earth. Steve tried to rise, and wipe off his googles, but before he could, his arm was jerked hard. Steve thought for a minute the vine might have pulled his arm from his socket, but, acting as fast as he could, Steve thrust out with the bat, swinging wildly just beyond his fingers. The third swing found its target, and Steve heard a hard _thud,_ then the sound of a whine before his arm was released. He jumped to his feet and wiped off his googles. Then, he shuddered. He was in the tunnels again, those same tunnels that had been under Merrill’s farm in his world. The vines, the growths, the spores blowing around him, it was all the same. Everything, except the hole to get him back up was nowhere in sight. Steve could see the vine that had been dragging him slinking away, and he gave it another whack, which led the evil plant to grow still. Steve was left in an otherwise silent cavern, with nothing but the small, white wisps floating around his face.

“Hey! Hello!” Steve called, moving back toward where he had been pulled in, “Hello! Anyone?”

“Steve!” Steve heard his own muffled voice respond. At first, Steve thought it might have been an echo, and looked around the tunnel. But then, he heard it again, louder, and he looked up to see a tiny sliver of light shining down into the tunnel.

“Steve! Alternative Steve! Are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here!” Steve yelled back. Mirror Steve leaned down and looked through the sliver.

“Oh, thank god! My Jonathan would have never let me hear the end of it if you had died…”

“Thanks for your concern…guess Hopper was right about these tunnels…” Steve muttered.

“Billy! Quickly! Dig him out…” Steve looked up to where Billy was started to move mud and dirt to open up a larger hole. As he watched Billy work, Steve noticed that, in addition to the movement above him, he was hearing the sounds of something pattering toward him. Lots of somethings, in fact.

“Sh*t. I’m going to die in this mirror universe…” Steve grumbled, twirling his bat in preparation for what he suspect was going to be demidogs. A lot of demidogs based on how much he was hearing.

“Steve! You’ve got to get out of there!” Steve heard from the light, and he groaned audibly in response.

“If you’ve got an idea how, don’t hold back…” Steve countered, then the first demidog jumped out through a fork in the tunnel in front of him. The creature let out a low growl, then slowly started pacing back and forth. Soon, there were two more demidogs running down to join the first. Steve twirled his bat again, then he heard a loud crash behind him, and turned to strike at it but stopped himself when he saw that it was Mirror Steve, sprawled out on the ground behind him.

 “Wha…? Why did you…are you okay?”

“Shut up! I’m not dying for you!” Mirror Steve grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled himself up, then cocked his gun and started shooting at the demidogs gathering in the tunnel. Steve watched as Mirror Steve took out two of the three demidogs, but the third dodged the bullets and started climbing the wall as he approached.

“I suppose…” Mirror Steve yelled, cocking his weapon, “This explains where my captured soldiers were taken…” Mirror Steve took aim, then firing a burst of gunfire into the remaining demidog, which dropped to the ground and let out a weak roar before falling still. Steve turned to his counterpart and frowned.

“Why didn’t your men find this before? It seems pretty clear to me…”

“I wish I had an answer. But, you can’t really trust anyone here in America!” Mirror Steve yelled. Steve rolled his eyes, then turned and barely got his bat up in time to smack a demidog aside with his well-placed swing. The creature crashed into the tunnel wall and roared, but Mirror Steve filled it with bullets. Steve twirled his bat as several demidogs appeared in the tunnel behind him, then he heard the sound of flint striking, and turned to see Mirror Steve had started a lighter attachment to his gun and he held it up to face the several demidogs coming toward them.

“I made Jonathan a promise, Steve. As long as I’m alive you’re going to go home.”

“Then I better make sure you stay alive…” Steve said raising his bat and knocking back demidogs as Mirror Steve launched an explosion of flame into a mass of the creatures.


	14. Rescuing the Boys

_Nancy_

“What?” Mirror Nancy roared through her gas mask at Billy, seizing him by the neck and pulling him in close.

“I’m sorry ma’am…” Billy said, wheezing through the mask and her tightening fingers, “But, Lord Harrington has entered what appears to be an underground tunnel to save his counterpart.” Mirror Nancy growled through her radio then pulled him closer. But it was Nancy who spoke next.

“Where?” Nancy demanded, looking around through googles at the horrid marshland around her. It was hard to reconcile this was once a farm, even more so that this was the equivalent of the enormous pumpkin patch she and Mike had wandered before every Halloween when they were younger. Mirror Nancy turned to snarl at her as well, then turned back at Billy.

“Show us…” she demanded with a wave.

“Wait…” Lucas, moving cautiously toward Mirror Nancy, started, “If this is a mirror, I might know where they went through to the underground…”

“Why would you?” Mirror Lucas asked, “You were with us, ‘fanning’ out. How could you…”

“Because…” Lucas countered, “Those two apples trees are exactly where they are in our world…” Lucas, tugging on the bandanna around his face, began walking and pointing out the features of the farm he seemed to know as well, “And so is Merrill’s house…” Mirror Nancy released Billy and watched the boy for a second, then started following him. Mirror Lucas moved with him as well, then Billy glanced at Nancy and waving to her, moved behind.

“Okay…” Lucas said. He pointed forward, then sloshed through a deep puddle and went across a long stretch of dry, clearly salted land. “So, if those are the same woods that surround Merrill’s farm…” Lucas paused, then turned slightly toward the house and took a few more steps, then pointed, “They would’ve gone through over there…right where the hole we made was…” Billy glanced at Lucas, then shook his head.

“No, they didn’t fall through there…” Billy moved toward Lucas, then stopped, “But…you weren’t exactly wrong. It’s just…”

“It’s a mirror!” Dustin yelled, “Take all the steps in the opposite direction!” Nancy followed Billy and Lucas’s gazes to see Dustin about twenty yards off, googles and bandanna on over what she was sure was a big goofy smile. Mirror Dustin was behind him, in a really small, in fact, too small, gas mask that made an obnoxiously loud noise as he breathed.

“Dustin…” Nancy muttered. A year ago, when she had danced with him at the winter formal, she’d told him he was her favorite of Mike’s friends. Now, as he excitedly pointed at the opening in the ground and started calling Steve’s name, she felt that more than ever.

“He’s here! I can see him!” Dustin called. Mirror Dustin started clapping, and pointed.

“My Steve too! Lucas! Come see!”

“Hmph…come on!” Mirror Nancy ordered, drawing her long barreled pistol and the shotgun on her back and wielding both threateningly as she moved toward the two boys. Mirror Lucas and Lucas followed quickly behind her. Billy turned his head, looked Nancy and her lack of a weapon briefly, then held out a hand.

“Follow me…but be careful, ma’am.”

“Okay…” Nancy took a few steps into the marshy land after Billy, when a mud soaked vine exploded and wrapped around Nancy’s leg. She was tripped, and fell face-first into a deep puddle. Nancy tried to lift herself from the muck, but her arms found little purchase in the soft mud. Nancy raised her head above the water and wiped her goggles with a her hand, and saw that figures were emerging from the mud. Small, green animal-like creatures , but, when they opened their five part mouths to roar, Nancy recognized them.

“Demidogs!” Nancy yelled through her mud soaked bandanna. She looked back at the vine which remained tied around her leg and began kicking it, but this caused her hand to slip and she fell into the mud again. Nancy lifted herself from the water slowly and ripped the dripping bandana from her face.

“They’ve got me trapped…” Nancy grunted to no one in particular. The Mind-flayer had done this before, using Will as his own spy to trick a group of government men into a massacre. Nancy suspected this wouldn’t turn out much different. Billy, a short distance ahead of her, was also apparently grabbed by a vine, as he was wielding a knife and stabbing down at the ground around his right foot. The Dustins were looking around each other in terror, while the Lucas’s were running as quickly as possible to help their desperate allies. Mirror Nancy seemed stuck, trying to decide between fighting those monsters around her or moving to save Steve. Nancy sighed, dropping her gaze to look at cold muddy water.

“I’m going to die here…in the mirror universe…I…”

“Fuck that! Get up, bitch!” Nancy glanced up to see Mirror Nancy raise her pistol and launch a blast of light that sawed through the vine.

“What…why?”

“Because you’re me! Which means you aren’t an idiot. Not like that son of a bitch Steve, who told me I wouldn’t need to bring Eight for this simple patrol! Now stand up and help me save our idiot men!” Mirror Nancy flung her shotgun to Nancy, who grabbed it with a muddy hand and raised it carefully. It was long, and looked really dangerous, but it was also light, and Nancy rather easily aimed it and took out a demidog racing toward the still trapped Billy.

“Not bad. Now, come on!” Mirror Nancy held out a hand, and Nancy took it, and stood up. Nancy cocked the shotgun, frowning and trying to take in the situation, but Mirror Nancy slapped her on the back.

“I’ll rescue Billy! Get the boys!” Mirror Nancy took careful aim and freed Billy’s leg from the vine trapping it. Billy nodded to her, then raised his knife and as a demidog burrowed up near him and started snapping at him. Nancy sloshed her way as quickly as she could to Dustin, who was running from a particularly large and very aggressive demidog.

“Dustin! Duck!” Dustin looked up then flung himself into the mud. The demidog jumped over him and bounded toward Nancy. It leaped at her, but a well placed shot from her gun knocked it back to the ground, and Nancy blasted it’s head with another shot before grabbing Dustin and standing him up.

“These guys seem meaner than in our world…”

“They were born here, they were bound to be worse…” Nancy yelled, then shoved Dustin behind her and shot another incoming demidog. Two of the creatures started to circle them as Nancy, pausing to reload, was shoving bullets into the gun. Dustin grabbed her waist tightly and started to shiver.

“Hurry up Nancy! They’re going to kill us!”

“I’m trying…” Nancy was cut off by a slug crashing into one of the two dogs and exploding the creature into mush and plant gore near her. She wiped demidog off her face, and looked up to see Lucas, their Lucas, holding up a really scary looking weapon attached to his wrist. Lucas’ bandanna was around his neck and he was panting.

“This is…too strong…for me…”

“Well don’t stop now!” Dustin yelled. Lucas nodded and barely got a slug off in time to prevent three of the creatures from overtaking him. Nancy grabbed Dustin by the scruff of his neck and threw him forward.

“Get Steve and get him to the truck!” Nancy roared, then turned smoothly and blasted a nearby threatening vine into splinters.

“Alright! Alright, get Steve…” Dustin muttered to himself, moving to the opening and starting to dig through mud. Nancy took a position above him, and Lucas took a position opposite her. The held off demidog and vines for some time, but the creatures kept coming from all angles, and pretty soon, Nancy and Lucas were both running low on ammunition.

“Dustin! Hurry up!” Lucas yelled, firing what Nancy believed was his last slug into a group of demidogs. Nancy launch a shotgun blast into the group to make sure a flailing one was really dead, then looked back to Dustin sat up and smiled.

“I did it! I made a hole big enough. Now, we just gotta pull Steve up…”

“Move!” Nancy ordered, shoving Dustin back. She raised the shotgun with one hand and reached down with the other.

“Uh…I don’t think you arm is gonna be enough…”

“Why, it…” Nancy trailed off as she looked down and saw that this tunnel was a few feet down, and the two Steves were definitely out of range.

“Jesus…Steve! Steve!” Nancy yelled. Steve looked up at her then grabbed his counterpart, who was burning most of the tunnel with a rather powerful flamethrower, and pulled him back toward her.

 “Nancy!”

“Steve, We’ll get a rope!”

“The sun is setting, Alternative Nancy! We may be doomed anyway!” Mirror Steve called, “You should make sure that you and the boys survive!”

“No, come on Steve…I…” Nancy was suddenly pulled back, and Billy, now with a rope tied around his waist, jumped down into the tunnel. Nancy followed the rope to see it was tied to the truck, which Mirror Nancy was clearing of demidogs several well aimed blasts.

“Damn…our Billy would never do that…” Lucas said.

“Not unless he was forced too…” Nancy muttered. She glanced down to see that Billy was now firing a machine gun deeper into the tunnel, and Mirror Steve was climbing up the rope toward the surface. Nancy, sighing, grabbed him and pulled him up, then looked back down the hole.

“Steve, come on!”

“I’m coming!” Steve yelled, and with a boost from Billy, started climbing up the rope.

“Watch it girl!” Mirror Steve yelled, kicking her aside with his boot and burning a set of vines bursting from a nearby puddle.

“Wait! Steve!”

“I’ll get him!” Dustin yelled, reaching down and grasping something with both hands. He yelled loudly as he pulled up, and Lucas grabbed and steadied him as Dustin pulled Steve to the surface. Steve scrambled up onto more solid land and ripped off his bandanna, gasping and struggling to breath.

“Steve…thank god…come on, let’s go…”

“No…Billy…” Steve huffed out, trying to catch his breath and stand up. Nancy put an arm on his back, but Mirror Steve stomped in front of him.

“Billy has sacrificed himself for us…a noble undertaking…and it would be discourteous to take away the opportunity for him to become a martyr as many of my other troops…”

“No! Billy lives…” Steve demanded. Nancy glanced at him, then Lucas jumped to his feet nearby and pointed.

“I’ve got an idea! It’s terrible, but pull the rope as hard as you can! Mirror Lucas, come with me, Mirror Steve cover me!” Lucas started racing away. Nancy watched Lucas go, then turned to see Steve, still huffing, reaching out for Billy’s rope and starting to pull on it. Nancy rolled her eyes, then grabbed it and started pulling too. Mirror Steve burned away another set of vines, then followed Lucas, while Dustin put his arms around Steve and started pulling on him.

“We’re supposed to pull the rope you idiot…” Steve muttered, hauling up Billy with a loud grunt.

“If I pull you, I pull the rope…” Dustin said, “Makes sense to me!” this last word was up an octave, as Dustin was ripped from Steve by a large, clawed grey hand. The creature flung Dustin into a nearby pile of mud, then turned and stood to its full height, exposing its large, muscular-looking grey body. It turned to Nancy and Steve and opened its five part mouth to roar.

“You don’t even know us! Why are you…” the Demigorgon roared Steve to silence, but before it could move again, Mirror Dustin jumped out in front of it and put up his hands.

“Dart! There you are! Why are you being like this? I fed you a lot of nougat…and a few stray cats…” the creature roared at Mirror Dustin, who held out his hands.

“Okay, okay…I know what you want…” Mirror Dustin held up a candy bar. The Demogorgon glanced at Nancy and Steve, growled loudly at them, then turned and grabbed the candy and started to consume it loudly and sloppily.

“Good boy…good…” Mirror Dustin reached out to pet the Demogorgon and Dustin smacked his hand away and pulled him back.

“Don’t be stupid! Come on, help us!” Dustin demanded. Mirror Dustin nodded, then, with both Dustins, Nancy and Steve, they were able to haul Billy up most of the way, so that his head was above ground.

“What are you two doing! I sacrificed myself.”

“No you didn’t, you son of a bitch…” Steve struggled out, grabbing Billy’s collar, “We’re going too…” Suddenly there was the sound of an engine starting, and Nancy turned in horror to see the truck starting to move.

“Oh no…that is a terrible idea! Dustins, Steve, hang on!” Nancy yelled. Suddenly, Billy was jerked up through the mud and started sliding through the farmland, the rope around his waist being tied around the truck’s back bumper. Nancy flung her hands out onto the rope just in time to slide with Billy, while Steve was riding with his arms around Billy. And the Dustins were riding by holding onto Steve’s legs.

“We’re still going to die in this stupid universe!” Nancy yelled as they all slid over a hill of dirt and started sliding down toward the woods and the road again.

“No, I’m not dying yet…because I’m going to kill Lucas for this stupid idea myself!” Dustin yelled before a huge splash of mud filled their noses, mouths and eyes and blacked out what they could see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for kudos and comments!


	15. Not as Bad as They Thought

_Jonathan_

“Something is wrong. But they are on their way back now…” Mirror Jonathan whispered. Jonathan gulped, trying not to think about what they could mean, then glanced back at Mike who was pointing a tunnel pathway and explaining something to Will.

“I suggest we leave them here. I don’t know what condition their friends are in…”

“They’re our friends. We’re all a team…” Jonathan corrected, then bit his lip and looked at his normally unstable brother. What Jonathan had endured in the mirror universe would’ve probably broken the poor boy. Mike might handle it, but…maybe Mirror Jonathan was right.

“Will, listen, they want me for something…I’ll just be a little bit…but I’ll be back…”

“Alright…” Will said, then looked directly at his brother, “Are you okay Jonathan?”

“Yes…since you all have arrived, I’ve been feeling much better…” Jonathan murmured, then looked at Mike, who frowned at him.

“If the others get back, let us know, okay?” Mike asked. Jonathan nodded in response, then turned and walked with Mirror Jonathan, who looked him over.

“Do you have any capacity to lie?”

“My mother never taught me to fib. She’s…actually, she’s a terrible liar too.”

“As is mine…I suppose they share that at least…” Mirror Jonathan led his counterpart to the main staircase, “When lying didn’t work…mine resorted generally to more…aggressive tactics…”

“That’s not really that far from my mother either. When Will was missing…she threatened more than a few people in town and tore a hole in our wall to try and find him…”

“As horrible as it sounds, I think I’m glad Mike was taken instead of Will. Had it been the same as your world, I can’t imagine how many people might have been killed in her effort to rescue him…hell, she might’ve toppled the whole government herself…”

“Jesus…” Jonathan muttered. Two men standing near the main door was put fists to their chest, then opened the doors to the Jonathans, revealing a fading light and a large, dirty and partially damaged troop carrier driving slowly up to the front entrance.

“Oh…no…” Jonathan said. Mirror Jonathan breathed deeply and clasped his hands together.

“I hope…that Steve is alive…”

“Mine or yours…”

“Well, both, but if mine is dead…I cannot promise what might followed for you and your friends…those that are left…” Jonathan gulped at this, then started toward the truck. After about two steps, Dustin, his Dustin, jumped from the back, followed by Lucas. Both were filthy, but, while Lucas looked like he may have waded through a muddy stream, Dustin was almost covered head to toe in dried mud, and Jonathan could see that his clothes were largely stuck in place as a result. Lucas had something metallic and deadly looking on his hand, and he waved it somewhat haughtily at Dustin with a laugh.

“I saved you. I saved you all, admit it!”

“You nearly killed me. And I remember your stupid plan dragging me through Mind-flayer infected mud!”

“You look fine now though…and, you’re still alive…” Lucas said, patting Dustin on the back. The angrily, muck covered boy slapped the other’s hand away.

“This time!” Dustin yelled. Jonathan approached them slowly and they both glanced at him.

“Welcome back…” Jonathan muttered, “Are…Nancy and Steve…”

“He would have come up with a much better plan!” Dustin interrupted, pointing at Jonathan, then crossed his arms, “I’m going inside. And tracking my dirt everywhere!”

“Don’t you get any of that evil dirt in the god-damned bed, Dustin, I swear!” Lucas yelled, following him in. Jonathan watched them go, then glanced back at the truckbed to see Steve get out slowly. He was still wearing his vest and leather pants, but like Dustin, he was covered in mud. As he got to the ground, he turned, held out a hand, and helped Nancy get out after him. She was also covered, and turned slowly toward Jonathan and smiled.

“Well, we’re not dead, if that’s what you were…” Steve could not finish before Jonathan thrust out his arms and pulled him into a tight hug. Steve trailed off and put his arms around Jonathan, patting him a few times, then Jonathan let go, swallowed his fear of Mirror Nancy as best he could and put his arms around Nancy too.

“Jonathan…” Nancy started.

“I thought…worried that maybe…” Jonathan started. He felt Steve rubbing his back after a moment.

“No man…we wouldn’t leave you here…”

“How touching…” Mirror Steve said. Jonathan turned to see him drop down from the truckbed, followed by Mirror Nancy. Mirror Steve was dirty, though nothing like his Steve, and Mirror Nancy seemed to be more splashed by mud than dunked like her counterpart. Mirror Jonathan smiled slightly as he saw them, but dropped his gaze and appeared very subservient when Mirror Steve approached him.

“Jonathan…” Mirror Steve said, reaching out and tracing fingers along the boy’s arm, “I apologize…my lips are rather dirty…”

“Here, Steve…” Mirror Jonathan said, reaching out and wiping the man’s lips off with his thumb. Mirror Steve smiled as his mouth was cleaned, then he leaned in and pressed his lips to Mirror Jonathan’s. Eventually, he pulled away slowly and turned his head to Mirror Nancy.

“Nancy, aren’t you going to give Jonathan…”

“I’m going to clean myself off first. Everything else will come next!” Mirror Nancy spat.

“Good idea. Jonathan…run some water for me…”

“Yes, Steve…” Mirror Jonathan said with a small smile, then he hurried away, while Mirror Steve turned around to the group.

“I owe you, Alternative Steve…” Mirror Steve said, nodding to his counterpart, “You saved me down there. And that Lucas of yours saved Billy. He’s…nearly irreplaceable to me…”

“No problem…now, can we wash up too?” Steve asked, signaling to himself and Nancy. Mirror Steve smiled and held out a hand toward the town-hall.

“Of course. Nancy, there is a rather extensive shower attached to your rooms. Steve…there is a common showering area for soldiers, but I will have it cordoned off…except for my Billy of course…”

“Fine, whatever…” Steve said, going past him.

“Billy, take Steve…and Jonathan there…” Mirror Steve said. Jonathan glanced at him, then Mirror Steve smiled.

“You got a little…dirt on you, from that embrace…” Mirror Steve turned and started to walk away. Billy waved to the boys to follow him, then, they went through down the long hallway to the left of the staircase. It led to a set of short stairs, and a doorway, which Billy opened to reveal a large locker room and community. It was similar to what Jonathan thought he had seen when he watched a war movie on Vietnam. The main shower area in front of them was an open room, with several faucets and no privacy.

“Of course…” Steve muttered. He sighed and looked at Jonathan, who cleared his throat.

“I’ll turn around and won’t look…”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not that Steve and you’re not that Jonathan…” Steve said, then, he started to strip the dirty vest off, but was having trouble getting it around his broad shoulders. Jonathan, after a moment, started to help him, which Steve didn’t shy away from, and instead they got the vest and then his pants off, and soon Steve was showering in the tight underwear, while Jonathan had taken off his vest and shirt and was washing his arms, chest and hands.

“So…how was it?” Jonathan asked, refusing to turn around. Even as his eyes keep wandering toward the boy.

“Horrible…like a scene out of war movie…except for the tunnels…” Jonathan frowned.

“Tunnels…you found them.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t hard…according to Dustin and Lucas, they were an exact mirror of our world…and when I was down there, the inside was just like in Hawkins, spores, growths on the walls, vines,” Steve made a _hmph_ sound, then continued, “You know, their Steve told me that Hopper had  claimed they existed, but no one believed him. But I don’t understand how no one could have noticed or found them…” Jonathan looked up at the shower head, which itself seemed as sinister as that world, then shrugged.

“Maybe we noticed them because the unknown, what’s not right, it concerns and terrifies us…we always try and find out about it, and make it known, and thus…not scary. Here…the familiar and normal scares them…that could keep them from discovering or accepting the truth about unknowns…”

“Huh…maybe…” Steve responded to Jonathan’s philosophizing, then the younger boy heard a splash. Jonathan turned to see Steve had taken off the underwear and was wringing out dirt and water. And his eyes slipped down and he peaked. At Steve’s sizable manhood. At the water sliding down around the round pink head and veiny, angled shaft. Jonathan’s eyes flipped to Steve’s uncaring face, and was really glad he still had his relatively tight trousers on. He turned around, and tried to concentrate on their conundrum in that universe instead of the erection that was starting to form in his pants.

“The…they …the tunnels…they’re like our world…” Jonathan muttered, biting his lip and seeing Steve’s crotch again as he blinked, “Steve…there are drawings…colorings…”

“Drawings?”

“Yeah, of the tunnels. Apparently, the Mike in this world drew out the tunnels like my Will did. But the tunnels are longer, and more extensive, and they didn’t line up well with the maps of this world. But if you say they are exactly like ours…”

“Shit. Then…the Mindflayer is doing what it did in our world. And, he can reach into our world, our Hawkins, from here. Which means we really have to help them stop it…”

“Yeah…” Jonathan said, shutting off his water and starting to go to the exit. Billy was standing there, the imposing figure. He had cleaned his face off, his long curly blond hair and there terrible scar across his right eye. And, he was naked, his even more sizable shaft thrust out from a mess of blond-brown hair around his crotch. Billy, however, did not react to Jonathan’s wide eyes or gasp, and simply he nodded respectfully, holding out a towel for the boy. Jonathan didn’t exactly know how to react, other than thankfully take the linen. Billy, Mirror Billy that is, had never tortured, insulted or ignored him. And that flew in the face of his theory; this Billy wasn’t his worst self…he was his best. Perhaps…it wasn’t their worst version. Maybe…it was antithesis. Or maybe…there wasn’t a good formula at all.

 “You have a very brave man in your Steve…” Billy said calmly, looking over Jonathan, then glancing back at Steve.

“He’s…” Jonathan was about to deny Steve was his, then looked back at the kindly Billy and sighed, “He’s a great guy. And a hero in our world. He’s saved the kids more than once. And me…”

“He saved my life as well…” Billy said, “He…is worthy to serve…” Billy then moved to Steve to give him a towel, and Jonathan looked away, trying to think about what Billy had just suggested to him. Then, something in him, something desirous and dark, made him glance back at Steve as Billy held out a towel. He glimpsed the two boys, both nude, both in well defined, handsome forms, and both with large, hefty manhoods. It could have been the world making him like this, the freedom of his position in it encouraging this behavior…but maybe…maybe it was something within him that had always been there. Maybe it was the world that brought out the difference...and maybe…these people were not as bad as he thought…or maybe their world wasn't as good as he'd hoped...


	16. The Opposite of Upside Down

_Mike_

“Lucas, Dustin!” Mike yelled as they came slogging up the hallway, muck trailing behind them and making squishy noises on the carpet. Dustin was covered head to toe in dirt, and Lucas was pretty rough looking himself.

“What happened?”

“That idiot…” Dustin spat, “That son of a bitch…” he jerked a thumb at Lucas, who blew out his breath.

“I saved Billy’s life! I probably saved your life too, you ungrateful…”

“Guys…” Will started, holding up a hand, “Stop, please. We are trapped in this evil world, with the Mind-flayer  trying to destroy us, and the fact that it is a threat to all of us  is the only thing keeping the people here from killing us themselves. We have to work together…or we’ll die…”

“Will’s right, you don’t have time to argue. Get washed up and come back. Will, Jonathan and I started to come up with a plan…” Mike said. Dustin grumbled, then started to walk away, but Will threw out a hand and stopped him.

“Shake on it,” Will said. Dustin wrinkled his nose and Lucas drew back.

“Ugh…you want me to shake that nasty…” Lucas started.

“Shake. On. It,” Will ordered. It was more forceful than Mike expected, but Dustin and Lucas looked at each other then shook hands before going into their room. Will looked down and sighed, then turned to Mike, who smiled at him.

“Good one…”

“We can’t loose who we are here…or we’ll turn into the same monsters we’re trying to escape…” Will turned and went back to the conference room, Mike following behind slowly. Will seemed…different. Braver, maybe tougher. Mirror Will’s actions had clearly struck a nerve with him, but, then again, they had struck a nerve with Mike too. What was life like in this horrible place that...led Mirror Will to behave like that. Mike shook the idea away and said nothing as they stepped back in front of the numerous tunnels and the maps laid out in front of them. Mike went to a map of Hawkins, Mirror Hawkins, that was, with its walls, sharp-edged buildings, and streets which nearly exactly matched those of their hometown. He pushed the large map, central on the table, aside and picked up a crude drawing of the numerous colorings taped all around them. The colorings and the map didn’t match. Whatever Mirror Mike had drawn, had seen or felt from the Mindflayer, it wasn’t lining up with anything from this version of Hawkins. Will and Mike had been stuck on that for a while. And they hadn’t made any progress. Maybe Lucas or Dustin could help, but Mike was stumped and dropped it back on the table.

After a while longer, Lucas joined them, looking around the room in a mix of horror and fascination. Will and Mike were themselves disturbed by the heavy weapon on Lucas’ hand, and Mike couldn’t help but touch the Mirror “Wrist-Rocket.” Finally, Dustin arrived, responding similarly to Lucas at the tunnels draw on the walls around them. Mike caught Dustin’s attention after a moment, and soon had the three other boys huddled at the map.

“We went in these tunnels…” Lucas said, pointing to the colored images on the wall, then back at the drawing of the tunnels on the table, “Well, Steve and Mirror Steve did. And Steve said they were just like the ones in our world…”

“Which means…that the Mindflayer is colonizing this world, just like in ours …” Mike said, “And that means we can beat it the same way…”

“Shutting the gate…” Will muttered.

“And burning it’s heart!” Dustin said, excitedly. He turned and followed the colored tunnels with his fingers until he found the central hub. The heart. Which Will and Mike had been trying to map out in that Hawkins for the last hour.

“It might work…except that we have to find where that stuff is…” Mike muttered, “First things first, Steve blew the lab up…as in, completely obliterated it, with the government’s permission, there is nothing left there. The gate could be buried underground, deep underground, but we can’t get the tunnels to line up…”

“Even worse…the tunnels themselves don’t align with anything in town. Nothing…”

“Jonathan said Steve had hired a cartographer from Maine to come work on it, but he had proven no use, and was killed in a scouting expedition near the remains of the lab…” Mike glanced at Will, who sighed.

“The cartographer’s name was Bob, Bob Newby…”

“Jeez…” Dustin said, glancing at Lucas.

“But, it doesn’t make any sense. Bob in our world…figured it out…” Lucas said.

“You’re right. He looked at these drawings and could point out features of Hawkins. I can remember some of what he said…” Mike went to one part, where the tunnels were stretching out around a wide, round area, “He said this was the lake, here, but look…” Mike picked up the map and lined it up, lake against the lake, in front of the other boys, “This doesn’t match. If that was the case, there would be no tunnels at Merrill’s farm…”

“And we know that’s not true…”

“What about where we went in…” Dustin said, tapping Lucas’ arm, “Do you think we can find where in Merrill’s farm matches with the tunnels based on…”

“Hell, Dustin, how would we know where that is on this map…” Lucas muttered, holding out a hand to the colorings of the tunnels. Mike glanced at it, then at Will, who closed his eyes, then nodded.

“I remember. You entered…here…” Will went to a far part of the wall and pointed. Lucas, Dustin and Mike followed him, but as Mike held up the map and pointed, he shook his head.

“No…that doesn’t make sense. They gate would be in the lake then! And the heart would way up north, near state road 30…”

“Well, shit, maybe this map isn’t right then…” Dustin said, scratching his head. He blew out his breath, then looked at Mike and Will, “Did I mention that my stupid counterpart raised a demidog too? Except his demidog wasn’t a demidog anymore. It was a demogorgon, full grown and terrifying.”

“Wow…that’s…scary…” Mike muttered, “Was it named Dart?”

“Yeah. And it ate nugget. This mirror place creeps me the hell out…” Dustin grabbed the map from Mike and flipped it over, “It’s almost like you have to turn this town inside out, it’s so crazy…” Suddenly, Lucas snatched the map from Dustin and started rotating it in his hands.

“Wait, guys maybe that’s it! Maybe we have to look at it like a mirror! We had to when we found the entrance…” Mike rolled his eyes and took the map back.

“We already tried this. We even held up a mirror and tried to look at the map through that, but we couldn’t get it to align any better…Besides, why would it be a mirror? It’s a mirror of our world, everything is backward to us…”

“Wait!” Will said, snatching the map from Mike, “Everything is backward to us! And the Mindflayer isn’t from this world either. Which means…things here are backward to him too!” Lucas’s eyes grew wide, and he snatched the map from Will.

“That means that this…” Lucas flipped the map over and smiled, “Is what Hawkins looks like to it.”

“No…” Mike said, snatching it back one last time and putting it on the ground, “He’s from the upside down in our world. Which means…it’s the Downside up in ours.”

“What does any of that mean? You all are just babbling!” Dustin spat.

“We’re in a mirror, but we’ve been trying to mirror ourselves against the Mind-flayer…” Will muttered, then looked at the tunnels on the wall, “We need to imagine the Mind-flayer as if he is looking at our town…in a the mirror…”

“Quick!” Mike yelled, dropping the map and grabbing a line of tunnel. He moved it over on the opposite side, while Will grabbed and moved part of a tunnel as well. Lucas rushed to the drawing of the tunnels and started directing where the tunnels had to be. Eventually, Dustin started helping as well, and soon enough, the boys had the drawings along the wall mirrored, and matching perfectly with the map flipped upside down.

“And that means that…”

“The heart…is under Steve’s house?” Dustin said, his eyes wide. Lucas watched his finger trace it, then Will, pushed between the two, glanced back at the wall, then at the map.

“That also means…the gate is under my house…” Will uttered. Mike, glanced at Lucas, then Dustin, then back at Will. He blinked a few times, recovering from the shock, and pointed back at the map.

“We’ve done it. We’ve found the heart and the gate. Now…we just have to destroy it…”

“It all makes sense now…” Will said. Except, Mike was staring at him. Which meant it wasn’t him, but his counterpart. Mike turned around and saw Mirror Will, smiling, Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin on his flanks.

“Steve will be pleased…and I will should be handsomely rewarded…” Mirror Will said, “Though now that we’ve got it solved…I wonder…what good are you four anymore?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for comments and kudos!


	17. Agony

_Dustin_

 “What good are we?” Dustin asked, trying to control his disbelief. They were turning on them, as soon as they came up with a plan to win…Dustin couldn’t say he was surprised.

“What are you talking about?! I just saved…” Lucas started, but Mirror Will cut him off by drawing a gun. A big, metallic monster with a long barrel that made a loud, horrifying sound as he cocked the weapon.

“Drop the wrist-rocket, boy…” Lucas slowly reached over, undid the weapon, and let it drop to his side.

“Your Jonathan and your Steve won’t appreciate this…” Will said. He was putting on his brave face, but Dustin could see him wavering as the gun turned to point in his direction.

“Jonathan and Steve be damned. They’d never kill me or kick me out of government. Though, you’re right, I can’t kill you…both Jonathans would become distraught…” Mirror Will muttered to his counterpart. He turned the gun to Mike, smiling.

“Nancy might be flustered if I kill you too, Mike…though winging you…that wouldn’t be a problem. But…” Mirror Will turned to the last two boys, and Dustin knew he didn’t like where this was going, “We already have a Lucas and Dustin…do we need a second set?”

“We can’t win without them…” Mike said, stepping in front of Lucas. Dustin felt a bit abandoned as the gun barrel wandered over to point at him while Lucas waited behind the black-haired boy.

“I’m not interested in you winning anymore. This is our world, and the victory over the Mind-flayer should be ours. Now that you’ve given us these two targets…we’ll just summon an artillery strike and end it…”

“That won’t work…the gate is deep underground…” Will said. Mirror Will glowered at him, then Dustin noticed that Mirror Lucas had his hands balled in awfully tight fists. His eyes darted to Mirror Dustin cowering behind him, and he suspected that Mirror Will probably hadn’t asked what either of them had thought about this plan.

“Listen…” Will started, holding up a hand, “If you hurt any of my friends or my brother’s friends, we won’t help you…”

“And what help would a little baby like you be?” Mirror Will asked, “You’d probably just betray us, like you did to your friends. Your Jonathan told me everything…” Will whimpered slightly at this, and dropped his gaze. Dustin, however, was focused on a new task.

 “Lucas!” Dustin said suddenly. His Lucas turned to look at him, but, so did Mirror Lucas, “Don’t let this happen. Don’t let him control you…”

“What do you want me to do, Dustin? Pick up the wrist-rocket?” Lucas asked, signaling to it. Mirror Will brandished the gun at him and growled.

“Don’t move!”

“Lucas…don’t let this happen…” Dustin said again. Lucas signaled angrily at the wrist-rocket then at Mirror Will, but Dustin saw from the corner of his eyes that Mirror Lucas clenched his teeth, then raised his hand and with a smooth motion opened his own wrist-rocket, pointing it at Will.

“Will! Drop the gun!” Mirror Lucas roared, “I’m done with this…and I’m done with you!” Mirror Will started to turn around, rage marking his eyes and face, but MIrror Lucas fired a wrist slug past his face that exploded into the opposite wall in a loud bang. Dustin saw ashes of the burnt paper that was the map of the tunnel system float around him, and it was pretty obvious to him why these people were having such trouble against the Mind-flayer.

“Lucas! You traitor. Fucking traitor…”

“Drop it!” Mirror Lucas roared. Mirror Will growled again, then let the gun fall. Mirror Lucas waved, and Mirror Dustin hurried forward, picked up the weapon, and pointed it at Mirror Will’s back.

“Come on…let’s go!” Mirror Lucas said, signaling Mirror Will to move. The three went out of the room and down the hall. Dustin glanced out, then waved at the others.

“Let’s see where they’re going!”

“Is that a good idea?” Mike asked. But Dustin was already keeping up with the three, and soon enough, he heard Mike, Will, and Lucas following behind. Dustin caught up with them as they started down a stairway, which broke off in two directions. Lucas, who caught up with Dustin, pointed down to the left stairway.

“I think that’s the way to the armory…”

“The armory? Why would they go to the armory…” the three Mirror versions didn’t go the way Lucas’ finger directed, and turned down the right path.

“Do you know what’s that way?”

“I think he said the dungeon is there…and…something called the Agony Chamber.” Dustin, Will and Mike all drew back from Lucas.

“What?”

“That’s straight out of Star Trek! _The Agony Booth_!” Dustin said. Will shook his head, and Mike pointed angrily.

“We’ve got to stop this, come on!” Mike started down the steps, but Dustin grabbed his arm.

“Wait, Mike, Why?” Dustin asked, “It’s Mirror Will. And this is the Mirror Universe. The Agony Chamber is probably like a spanking or timeout in our world…”

“I’m sure it’s not…” Will started, “And the other Will is a person. He doesn’t deserve to suffer just because…because he…”

“Dustin, we are helping him!” Mike ordered. He started down, with Will and Lucas on his tail. Dustin sighed and followed, going from the dim and garish yellow illumination of the rest of the town hall into a dark hallway of red, ominous light. The hall was defined by a row of long, hanging lamps that gave off the threatening glow, which stretched back to a set of three…booths. They were like telephone booths, except there was no telephone in them. Instead, four metal struts stuck out of the device. Each strut had a metallic clamp and was placed to go on each arm. Dustin suspected this was to keep the person in the booth standing in an uncomfortable position, and as he saw Mirror Dustin and Mirror Lucas strapping Mirror Will into one of the devices, his suspicions were confirmed.

“Hey! Stop!” Mike called, running down the hallway. But his order had no effect, as Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin moved to a large goofy-looking panel device in front of the booth and started pressing buttons. Just as the four boys of their universe reached the panel, there was a flash of light, then dark red electricity started zapping off of Mirror Will and he began to scream. Dustin felt frozen as he watched the torture device, and Mirror Will began to jerk himself around, trying to get away from the pain or in an automatic response, Dustin didn’t know. What he did know, was that it wasn’t like time out.

“Stop!” Mike demanded again. Will added his voice, reaching out to Mirror Lucas, who glared at him darkly.

“Please! Let him go!” Will begged. Mirror Lucas shook his head.

“You don’t understand…” Mirror Lucas muttered, looking up at Mirror Will, “He deserves it…by the rules that…that…” Lucas moved over to Mirror Lucas and pointed.

“That’s how they solve problems. That’s what his kind do to each other. You don’t have to be like that…” Lucas said. Mirror Lucas glanced at his counterpart, then at Mirror Dustin, who was staring blankly at the device in front of him.

“He…he earned it…” Mirror Lucas said, avoiding looking at the other boys.

“This isn’t about him…” Lucas said. Mirror Lucas looked at him, then Mike slammed his hand on the console.

“Let him go!”

“Lucas…please…” Will begged. Mirror Lucas looked around him, at the four boys, then sighed deeply, pressed several buttons on the console in front of him and in a loud click and burst of steam, the electric signals stopped, and the doors of the device opened. Mirror Will looked half dead, hanging in the restraints and gasping for air. Mirror Lucas watched him, then, Mirror Dustin moved slowly toward him and started to undo his restraints.

“They put this Dustin in this…boys from school…Troy and James, accused him of cheating and stealing and beating them…and Will, Mike and I…we let them do it…” Mirror Lucas muttered, “He’s the way he is because Will wouldn’t do anything. Because I wouldn’t do anything…” Dustin looked at the boy, empathy now filling him. Mirror Dustin had been tortured into his idiotic state. And now, Mirror Lucas felt responsible for it. Dustin’s counterpart wasn’t a mockery of him, he was a tragic possibility in a terrible world.

“Jesus…this universe is awful…”

“Yes…” Mirror Lucas said, then slowly raised his head to Mirror Will, who fell to the ground and panted as Mirror Dustin stood over him, “You are lucky you have so many friends in this universe…for now…” Mirror Will lifted his head slowly and scowled at Mirror Lucas.

“Son of bitch…”

“You aren’t our leader anymore. We’re equals…or, we’ll test out some higher settings on you…” Mirror Lucas instructed. Mirror Will spat at him, but then, he lowered his head. Dustin noted that power spoke in this world, and he turned Mirror Lucas.

“We have a solution. But we’re not helping unless you promise to get us all back…” Dustin demanded. Surprising, Will supported him as he laid out the ultimatum.

“The gate can only be closed in a particular way. And the heart can’t be bombed, it has to be destroyed from the inside. We can do it, we can help you do it, and we can stop the Mind-flayer, but not if we are threatened every step of the way…”

“It’s your choice…There won’t be a second way to do this…” Dustin instructed. Mirror Lucas looked at Mirror Dustin, then at Mirror Will before turning back to their counterparts.

“Then…I don’t think we have a choice…” Mirror Lucas said, holding out a hand to shake. At least, Dustin hoped so. Before he could take the hand though, there was a shrill yell that came from down the hall.

“What is going on doing down here?” The boys of each universe turned and watched a tall man in a long black coat approached the agony booths. Dustin could see that this was not just any scientist, but one he knew, at least back in his universe. Because the man had an unmistakable mustache, balding scalp and ugly green vest and button up shirt underneath which told Dustin that the man standing in front of him, looking over the controls of the device, was Scott Clarke. This Scott Clarke was in a science-like coat, except in was black instead of white, and he kept his hands behind his back, almost as though he was more fascinated than annoyed. His mustache was accompanied by a thick goatee, and his right eye was grey through its long, barely visible scar.

“Mr. Clarke!” Mirror Dustin said happily. Dustin, however, was horrified.

“Mr. Clarke?”

“What is going on down here. boys? What are you…ah. The ones from the mirror. The…alternatives. Of course you’d have something to do with this…I instructed Mr. Harrington that this was a poorly thought out idea…”

“Mr. Clarke…is that you?” Mike asked. Dustin noted that those from his universe were simply in awe.

“You recognize me. Curious, I didn’t know if I would have survived in your world.”

“You’re our science teacher in our universe…” Lucas offered, eyeing the man suspiciously. Mirror Mr. Clarke let out a throaty chuckle, then he looked at the booth.

“What a fascinating coincidence. I am the science instructor at the training academy here in Hawkins, though…the lords of the town often have me work on side projects as well…” Mr. Clarke touched his goatee “Such as this wonderful device. Targeted electrical and chemical signals to encourage submission and good behavior. Since Mr. Harington has brought me on for my side projects, I gotten to improve these a great deal. How did it feel to be in there, Will? Any side effects…other than submissiveness?” Mirror Will refused to look him in the eye, but their Will raised a hand.

“Mr. Clarke…are you…helping against the Mind-flayer?”

“I am working on it, as Steve asked. Being that he executed nearly every scientist in this town after he seized control…” Mr. Clarke smiled subtly at the children, “Now…based on the fact that Will was thrown into an agony booth by Lucas, I suspect he threatened you after you four came up with a functional plan…”

“He’s almost as smart here as he is in our world…”

“We have a plan…but…I know we can’t do this alone…”

“Indeed. Well, unlike some children who participate in running this city, I’m willing to do what it takes to get the Mind-flayer out. Until this is completed, you are our allies, and we will do what it takes to work together and defeat it…and if my suspicions are correct, we’ll need to use Eight…as well as number of explosives, to defeat it, won’t we?”


	18. A Party in the Mirror Universe

_Steve_

“This way…” Billy said, leading Steve up the steps of the town hall to a small set of apartments, which he suspected was where his counterpart lived. He was proven correct as Billy took him to a hallway that opened up to a set of bedrooms. And a bathroom, with its door ajar, revealing Mirror Steve  lounging in a large bathtub, with a scantily clad Mirror Jonathan rubbing an outstretched leg. Billy held out a hand, leaning his head respectfully to both Steves, then stepped out.

“Come, come, Steve…we both nearly died back there, I want to enjoy one night of respectable company…” Mirror Steve said, “So, I’m hosting a party of those of note. I’m sure there will be a few significant attendees I imagine you will recognize. Carol and Tommy, Tommy’s father, Ally, Stacy…” Steve sighed at the boy, then felt his eyes wander over to the topless Mirror Jonathan, who only wore rather tight shorts. Mirror Jonathan ran a hand through his hair and let a few drops of water drip down his chest as Steve stared at him.

“Fine…” Steve spat, looking back at his dark reflection, “I’ll be your pretty new thing to show off, but Steve, I don’t know how much longer this town will last. We both saw the fields…”

“I agree…” Mirror Steve lowered his leg back into the water, and sat up, exposing his back and allowing Mirror Jonathan to begin massaging him, “But, one more night won’t make a difference. And besides, aren’t you curious? About the many ways this world is unlike yours…because I am quite curious…”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked. Mirror Steve smiled, somewhat darkly, at his counterpart, but, before he could speak more, there was the sound of a knock, then a servant stepped in, holding a tray with three glasses and a bottle of wine on it. Steve turned to man, dressed in a white button-up and formal pants and froze when he recognized his face. The thick-bearded, bald man, who looked at him through thick spectacles. Steve knew...this was the same crazed reporter and private investigator who had looked into Barbara’s disappearance. This Murray Bauman seemed less intense than his counterpart from the other world though, despite the long, ugly scar through his right eye. Mirror Murray caught Steve’s gaze for a moment, then looked to Mirror Steve and bowed.

“Excellent. Bring wine for each of us, quickly…” the man moved to the side of the bathroom, rather deftly opened up a folding table with one hand, and set the tray on it. As he was pouring the glasses, Steve looked at his counterpart, who gave him a knowing smile.

“Look familiar?”

“Jonathan and Nancy knew him better…but he was a private eye in our world, who helped expose the DOE facility in Hawkins and undo what happened…”

“Indeed, he was an out-spoken critic of both Lord Brenner and Hopper…” Mirror Steve started, taking a glass from the man, “Housed me and Jonathan as we gathered allies to help overthrow Hopper…you remember that Jonathan?” Mirror Steve looked at the boy behind him, who also took a glass of wine and smiled.

“I remember Steve…”

“Murray couldn’t learn to quiet down once I took power though…I had to quiet him down myself…” Mirror Steve waved at Murray, who looked at Steve, then lowered his head and held out a glass and a cigarette. Steve took both slowly, smelled the wine, then put the cigarette in his mouth. Murray drew a match from his side and struck one, then held it out to light the cigarette. Steve took a deep draw, then sipped the wine, feeling both sophisticated and dominating, then nodded to the man.

“Wait, Murray, one more thing. Open your mouth for this Steve here…” Mirror Steve ordered. Murray dutifully, slowly parted his lips, and revealed the remains of his tongue, a round, disfigured stump that made Steve shudder. Murray then looked at Mirror Steve, his mouth still open.

“Thank you, you’re dismissed…” Mirror Steve ordered, taking a gulp of his wine. Murray nodded and left, and Steve felt his stomach roiling, the cigarette, wine and image of the mutilated man all mixing badly.

“Now, where were we…ah, yes…I wanted to ask you some questions, and I plan on extending the same courtesy to you…if you’ll let me. One for one, I think,” Mirror Steve offered. Steve took a long draw of his cigarette, and blew out the smoke, and nodded.

“Okay…one for one…” Steve offered. Mirror Steve smiled, then leaned over from the bath, gently picked the cigarette out of his counterpart’s fingers and put it in his own mouth.

“Very well…I’ll begin…you and Jonathan, why haven’t you two done anything?”

“…Jonathan…” Steve sighed, and put his glass to his lips, “It’s not acceptable. It’s not okay in our world…we would have been…” Steve trailed off.

“Ostracized. Of course…” Mirror Steve rubbed his chin in thought. Steve looked over his counterpart, then drank another gulp of wine.

“Right…Steve, when did…you tell people here?” Steve asked. Mirror Steve smiled slyly.

“That I was attracted to males and females? When Tommy began having a relationship with Carol. I asked how I could be a part of the relationship…It was clear to all involved about my views on the subject…”

“I…I thought about that…but it was stupid to think…and not okay…” Steve muttered. Mirror Steve took a draw of the cigarette, then held it out to Steve.

“If, for instance, you could be happy with both Jonathan and Nancy…live together….is there no place you could be happy?”

“Not in Indiana…nor the Midwest…but…there is a place…” Steve sighed and shook his head, “But its so far away. San Francisco, in California. If the stories I’ve heard are true, they let just about anything happen there when it comes to guys and girls….though…some disease is killing the fags…” Steve muttered, then covered his mouth and looked at Mirror Steve and Mirror Jonathan, “Sorry, I know that’s…its…”

“Fag? What’s a fag?” Mirror Jonathan asked.

“The British used to call cigarettes fags, right?” Mirror Steve said. He very gently took the cigarette from Steve and handed it to Jonathan, then took a sip of wine, “Though I suspect that isn’t how Steve here meant it…though, San Francisco was the epicenter of our Liberation Uprising. It makes sense in their world it is the bastion of Free Love they hoped to create here…excellent…”

“Why are you so happy with…nevermind. Once you…we’ve won, and you send us back…what are you going to do? With your non-Mind Flayer infested town.”

“Enjoy long baths with Jonathan and Nancy, and rule this town. And after some years…perhaps I will crave more. But for now…” Steve reached back to Jonathan and pulled his head forward so that it was touching his own, “This will suffice. Of course, do not fear. You universe will have all its people back. I have sworn this, and I will swear it again…” Mirror Jonathan took out the cigarette, blew out a whisper of smoke, then smiled at Steve.

“I have a question…about your world,” Mirror Jonathan said. Mirror Steve smiled, and took the younger boys hand. Steve looked at the display of affection, then nodded.

“Okay, ask.”

“Do people…in your universe…take pictures of non-military assists?”

“What?” Steve questioned, unsure where Mirror Jonathan was headed. The boy took a draw of the cigarette, then tried again.

“When they take photographs in your world, do they take…you know, take pictures of unimportant things? Like rivers, or mountains in landscapes, or non-dangerous and insignificant civilians…” Steve stared at him for a moment, then blinked a few times and nodded.

“Yes. People take photographs of all sorts of things, cities, homes, rivers, their families, random people. Some have even started to take videos of the same things. Jonathan…my Jonathan, is a photographer, he could…”

“Your Jonathan takes pictures? Of things he enjoys?” Mirror Jonathan asked, shocked. Steve rolled his eyes, tired of being surprised at how similar/horrifying the two worlds were, and held out his hand. Mirror Jonathan gave him back the cigarette, and Steve took one last draw before he put it out in an ash tray on the side of the room. Mirror Steve leaned forward and smiled at Mirror Jonathan.

“You know well that I allow you to just take pictures as long as you live with me…” Mirror Steve said, stroking the boy’s hand with his fingers. Mirror Jonathan lowered his head.

“I know but…I…”

“I have one more question. About Billy…” Steve interrupted, throwing back the rest of his wine. He put the glass back on the tray, and held an arm to the door, “How did you get him to become your servant or guard? In my world, Billy is nothing but a…”Steve stopped as he heard someone bounding up the stairs behind him. He turned to see Mirror Billy open the door, and, with an open arm, allow Jonathan to enter the bathroom.

“Steve! The boys, they’ve figured it out! They’ve got a plan to beat the…the…” Jonathan trailed off, staring beyond Steve. He turned around to see his mirror version standing from the tub, the water dripping down his naked body.

“Cover up man!” Steve said, holding a hand out. Mirror Jonathan quickly tried to cover him up with a towel, but Mirror Steve pushed his arms away and signaled to Jonathan.

“Who? Who has come up with a plan?”

“Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas, along with their opposites here…” Jonathan said, trying to look back at his Steve but clearly having some difficulty, “They figured out how to match the tunnels that were drawn out to a map…and...apparently with the help of this universe’s Scott Clarke, they have what they need to destroy the heart and close the gate.”

“Scott Clarke? What the hell is he here, an evil scientist?” Steve asked. Jonathan shrugged and nodded, suggesting he was correct. Steve then felt a wet hand on his shoulder and looked back at his counterpart.

“Perfect…” Mirror Steve muttered. Steve could see Mirror Jonathan trying to dry him off as he moved, “And I’m assuming this will yield the result we desire, Alternative Jonathan?”

“Burning the heart and closing the gate stopped the Mindflayer in our world…it should do the same here…” Steve said, “We can stop this now…”

“No…it’s not safe. Night has fallen, which means no one can pass the walls. All the suburban homes are abandoned. And besides…” Mirror Steve finally took the towel from Mirror Jonathan and wrapped it around his waist, “We have a party to attend…I’ll have new clothing set out for both of you and Billy will escort you to the ballroom in a few hours. Sober up before you attend…” Mirror Steve said, smiling at Jonathan. Steve glanced at his counterpart, then grabbed Jonathan’s arms and pushed him past Billy and out of the door.

“Are we going to be able to do it…” Steve asked in a hushed tone, “If we can start tonight?”

“No…that version of you is right. The city is on tight lock at night. And we need troops and cover. This world is a lot worse than ours ever got…” Jonathan muttered, then he shook his head. Steve thought he knew what thought it was. Especially since he was pretty sure he was having the same thought about Mirror Jonathan. Steve sighed and started back toward their room, Jonathan behind him.

“Be careful…sir…” Billy called. Steve turned back to look at him.

“Are parties deadly in this universe too?” Steve asked.

“They used to be…not too many leaders are poisoned by drinks anymore though…” Billy said, “But…don’t forget what I warned you. The people you meet tonight…no matter how they look, talk and act like the people of your universe…they are not them…you remember this…even…” Billy held out a hand, about to say more, then lowered it, “I’ll meet you in the room with your change of clothes…” Steve glanced at Jonathan, then nodded at Billy and started away with the younger boy. To prepare for one of the most dramatic moments of their young lives. A party…in the mirror universe.


	19. Don’t Turn Into Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is a chapter that finally has some Stoncy in it. Also, as a warning, this section has a few vague references to suicide. But, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for any comments and kudos!

_Nancy_

Nancy tugged on the silver dress, then touched her shortened, curled hair. She pulled it back to reveal the big, hoop earrings that dangled just above her shoulders. It felt really strange to dress like this, or better, be dressed on Mirror Steve’s orders like this. She touched the curves of the dress at her breast, and tried to adjust it to look more sensual, then dropped her hands and groaned.

“What am I doing? I don’t care what you all think of me…”

“I think you look nice in that…” the serving woman, who had be very patient with Nancy as she’d gotten dressed, moved to adjust the straps on the back, which actually started to make her breasts look perkier. Nancy smiled at the change, then turned to the woman.

“Thank you…” Nancy looked her over, then sighed, “I imagine my counterpart here or one of her companions enslaved you to this job…” The woman, who only had a thin, small scar over her eye, shook her head, a grin growing on her face, then pushed back the blond hair around her head.

“I...owe Ms. Wheeler a great deal. My sister was captured by Brenner, and used in his experiments, which yielded my niece. Eight…she wasn’t even given a name…” Nancy glanced at her, disbelief feeling her thoughts.

“Are you…Ives?”

“Rebecca Ives, yes. My sister…was killed by that monster. And my niece was nothing but a tool for experimentation. And I was not even compensated. But Nancy…she freed my niece and, once that boy of hers took over, I got this regular serving job…”

“And this is the job you want?” Nancy asked. Rebecca cleared her throat and made another adjustment on Nancy’s dress.

“You probably don’t understand how things work here, Alternative Nancy, but..." Rebecca paused, as if unsure about continuing, "The way to get ahead in this world...you need to be with somebody who is on their way up...and, if a fight for power begins...well, most new lords don't murder the old servants. Most...”

“You've nothing to fear, Rebecca...” Nancy turned to see Mirror Nancy step into the room, "Steve doesn't plan on losing power, and I wouldn't let you be killed,anyway..." Rebecca bowed to the gruff girl. Mirror Nancy waved the serving woman to the door, her eyes focusing on Nancy, “Give us a moment alone…” Rebecca moved quickly past her, leaving the two girls to look over each other.

“You are wearing that better than I ever could…” Mirror Nancy said. Nancy could see she was in something much less formal, in basically a short skirt and a band of cloth around her breasts, “Steve tried to dress me once, in this. I never let him do it again…” Nancy, glad to have her naval covered, regarded her opposite version, surprised at her kindness, but also her disgruntlement.

“You seem…so unhappy with him…”

“I’m not unhappy. And I do enjoy Jonathan’s company…a lot. And Steve is very powerful. I get the best of both…but…” Mirror Nancy turned from the girl and reached up to a small silver necklace.

“Steve’s can be overbearing, selfish and stupid…" Nancy said, finishing the mirror girl's thought, "And Jonathan can be needy and selfish and stupid.” Mirror Nancy turned back to her and flashed a small smile.

“Interesting…”

“Is that…the necklace? Your version of…” Nancy pointed at the W on the other girl’s chest. Mirror Nancy looked down at it, rubbing it for a moment.

“My mother…bought it for me. And a bracelet for Mike, though he never wore it…” Mirror Nancy gripped the metal tightly in a fist, “I wear it to remember her. Her stupidity, for falling for Hopper so easily. And for my brother…for…” Mirror Nancy trailed off, then blew out her breath, “Come on. Let’s go before my future husbands get worried…” Nancy sighed, then nodded, and started to follow her counterpart out toward the ballroom. She had gotten so close to breaking through the ice, to finding out about the real Mirror Nancy. And maybe getting a way out of evil Hawkins in case Mirror Steve tried to renege on his promise. Maybe…she could break through if she asked…about the boys.

“Are you…really marrying them…both of them, I mean?” Nancy asked. Mirror Nancy sighed, and glanced back at the girl.

“Steve earned me. And he earned Jonathan. That means he would have the right to choose between us. Except that, about 15 or so years ago, the ‘liberation movement,’ overthrew Spiro Agnew and put their leader Jimmy Carter in place, they created new rules. Gender is not important in marriage. And further, lords, ladies, or any who take an equivalent title, can have two spouses, regardless of the construct of gender. It was not, and is not popular, but it is legal…”

“Whoa…uh…wow…” Nancy muttered. Mirror Nancy eyed her, then sighed.

“That’s why there was such a groundswell of support for a new King. Reagan overthrew Carter rather easily, though, he hasn’t changed that rule. My father, like Jonathan’s mother, was part of that uprising. Both earned accolades for it…and my father therefore insisted that I had to be like him. A soldier…even if my brother was too weak to do the same…” Mirror Nancy glanced down at her necklace again. Nancy looked over the other girl for a moment, then started fiddling with her hair. She should have worn her version of the necklace, then, they could at least connect on that.

“You’re…really tough. With everything that’s happened…” Mirror Nancy turned down a hallway, which Nancy suspected led to the ballroom, and crossed her arms at her opposite.

“You’re not so weak yourself. Maybe…maybe having a life like yours for a little bit wouldn’t be so bad…”

“Honestly…maybe having a little bit of yours would make me stronger…”

“It will make things hurt less. I don’t really know about stronger…” Mirror Nancy said, then turned and opened the doors. Already, Nancy could see the room crowded with people she knew. First, most of the parents of her friends and classmates: Lucas’ father and mother, Dustin’s mother, Stacy’s father, Ally’s mother, as well as most of her high school teachers, were in group around the room. All of them were in various states of formal or military wear. Servants were also wandering the room, holding various hors d’oeuvres and pouring wine or liquor in empty glasses as the patrons signaled to them. Nancy recognized many of them as those who worked in retail or small businesses in the town. As she followed her mirror version, Nancy was stopped by Melvard, in a tight white shirt and dress pants, who held out a glass to her. Nancy could only barely see a scar around his eye, and the man appeared to Nancy to be just as kind and respectful as the Melvard from her world.

“Ma’am. What can I get for you?”

“A strong wine…” Mirror Nancy ordered, “For both of us…” Melvard gave an affirmative shake of his head to her, then looked at Nancy, who smiled.

“Yes, that sounds fine. White, please…thank you…”

“As you wish ma’am…” the man said, then hurried away. Nancy followed her counterpart as the two pushed through the party; Mirror Nancy received a great deal of bows, and ignored all of them, while Nancy mostly got confused or blank stares. She tried not to make eye contact, even when she saw Ally and Stacy, both in skimpy outfits that revealed their belly-buttons and cut off only about two inches below their rear ends. Nancy instead looked to where a raised platform set off the far end of the ballroom. The platform was wide enough to have a long table on it, with chairs, one of which was a rather dramatic throne-like seat. Nancy counted six, one for the Mirror Steve, Jonathan and Nancy, and one for herself and her two boys. She tried to hurry forward and not think about how revealing the tight dress was, and worked her way up a few steps to the middle left seat, thanking the stars she was wearing flats as she moved behind the chair.

Once she’d made it, Nancy turned and saw Jonathan, with his mirror counterpart, both wearing a black, military uniform coat with a long silver stripe stretching diagonally across the front. Nancy could see both had belts marked with silver and gold, and armed with a knife she hoped was ceremonial. Both boys had entered rather unnoticed from a door on the left side of the room. Jonathan, like Nancy, hurried up to the platform, though, not before stopping to go to where both Wills were against the side of the room. Nancy could see Mike was standing beside them, and scolded herself or not trying to check on her brother, but soon, the room was filled with applause and cheering as the doors on the right side of the room opened, and Mirror Steve walked out, his arms wide. He wore the black, uniform coat as well, though the arms were cropped at the shoulder and over his heart was a gigantic crest of gold and silver mixed around a bright, shimmering sapphire. Nancy watched amazed, as the goodwill spread to her Steve, wearing similar, though less dramatic sleeveless, uniform coat with a rather small silver outlined sapphire on his chest. As her version followed behind Mirror Steve, he received pats and applause, and seemed to be trying not to draw attention to himself and failing. Nancy could also see Billy, in a simple black uniform coat, his lacking either stripe or crest, instead being marked by a gold line along his shoulders. He was walking next to the two men, looking over the various hands reaching out to them and pushing some well-wishers back as they moved. The ovation continued until Mirror Steve and Steve finally worked their way to the platform. Mirror Steve continued to wave, summoning more cheers, while Steve moved to the spot beside Nancy, clearing his throat. Nancy saw Jonathan mount the steps and take his place to Nancy’s left, as Mirror Nancy and Jonathan went to the seats to the right of the throne. Finally, Mirror Steve lowered his arms, and quieted crowd by putting a fist to his chest.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome, to the Hawkins Town Hall, for a celebration well-earned!” Mirror Steve roared, speaking with a certain charisma and strength that impressed Nancy, “Victory is upon us. Hawkins, for the first time in nearly two years, will soon be brought back to order. My machinations have yielded success, for I have brought here, to our world, heroes, who once in the past defeated the creatures that threaten our survival. And, in concert with my own allies and assistants, have put together a plan to defeat that monstrosity, once and for all!” Mirror Steve turned to Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy, who glanced at each other as he continued, “These are your champions, champion I called on, and, are us, in all our greatness and glory. Now, drink, feast, and please, and fear no more of the creature that threatens our society!” this was responded to with further cheers and applause, and Steve leaned over to Nancy.

“Isn’t this like celebrating a win before the game is over…”

“Counting chickens before they hatch…” Nancy muttered. The applause finally calmed down to the normal sounds of discussion and movement that defined the party, then Mirror Steve moved to his throne behind the table, and took his place. Billy took up position as a guard behind him. Mirror Nancy and Mirror Jonathan sat down in their chairs in response, and Steve, Nancy and Jonathan took this as cue to sit down themselves.

“Come, we have the privilege of eating first…” Mirror Steve said to Nancy and her versions of the boys, “Where is your wine, Nancy? Servant!” Mirror Steve snapped at Melvard, who seemed to be struggling to bring several bottles of wine up to the main table. Nancy watched him a moment, then looked at Mirror Steve.

“It’s my fault. I asked him to bring a specific wine…”

“Hmph…so selfless…” Mirror Steve said, “There is no need to worry, Nancy, we know Melvard is slow, it’s not grounds for execution. There is no need to fear for the man…” Mirror Steve looked at his Nancy and gave her a sly smile, “My dear, you might take note of your Alternative versions kindness for our poor servant…”

“Fuck you, Steve…” Mirror Nancy spat. Mirror Steve laughed, then Melvard finally came to the table, and very slowly filled the glasses of those sitting there. Eventually, other servants, including, to Nancy’s horror, a tongue-less Murray Bauman, brought out a rich meal for the six. Nancy, surprised at how hungry she was despite the mirror world, at the delicious servings of pork roast, Cajun seafood, and chicken Marbella, all delicately prepared and well-done. Nancy, as did Steve and Jonathan, also thought the Sloppy Joes presented on fine china were also quite good, much better than anything her mother or the school lunch ladies ever made.

As they finished the last course, Nancy waved back chocolate mouse, and tried to stay rational as she took another sip of her third glass of wine. This was one of the best meals she’d ever had, and based on the way Jonathan and Steve had eaten, she suspected they’d agree, and yet, it was in a place where it was normal to kill people if they did something wrong. Nancy straightened out her dress, and looked over the crowd below her. Most were mingling again, having finished eating. She could see both Lucas’s talking to Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, as well as Dustin talking to—though standing a safe distance from—the mirror version of his mother. Mirror Will was saying something to Mike and Will, pointing around and getting nods that made Nancy feel less concerned about her brother. Then, she saw her. Talking with Stacy and Ally, using wide hand motions and touching her well-manicured curly red hair. Nancy stood up, though, Jonathan and Steve stood up at the same time as well.

“Do you see her?” Nancy asked. Jonathan looked at her, and nodded with a gulp.

“Yes. My mother…” Jonathan said. Nancy glanced at him, then to the far corner of the room, where a pale woman in a military uniform decorated with a number of medals leaned on the far wall, smoking a cigarette. Steve, however, tapped Nancy’s arm and pointed.

“Look, my parents are here too…”

“What? Really, but…”

“But is right…” Mirror Steve said, standing himself, and grabbing Steve’s arm, “They shouldn’t be here. They don’t leave Indianapolis unless something is wrong. I’d better not have a spy in my midst…” Mirror Steve dragged Steve with him toward a short woman with a head of white grey hair and a tall, balding man with a round gut and a big cape that billowed behind him.

“Jonathan…I’m going to talk to Barbara…” Nancy said. Jonathan nodded at her and started to move. She grabbed his arm and shook her head.

“That’s not your mother. You don’t have to talk to her, or even look at her, okay?”

“Okay…” Jonathan said, with a nod. Nancy smiled at him, then walked slowly through the room, trying to tell herself the same thing as she moved toward Barbara. And yet…Nancy felt like she owed something…an apology, an opportunity, an opening, she didn’t know, but she had to tell this Barbara what she couldn’t tell hers. Nancy did notice, out of the corner of her eye, that Jonathan’s mother was moving toward the two Wills, and that Jonathan was moving to intercept her. Nancy tried not to think about it as she approached the three girls. She got cold stares from Stacy and Ally as she neared, and she could see Stacy had one eye grey, probably sightless through a short but deep scar on her face, while the whole right side of Ally’s her face seemed misshapen by multiple marks spread across it. When Barbara turned, however, Nancy saw an exact copy of the friend she had known and lost. Freckles, thick glasses, round cheeks, thin mouth that curled in a small smile as she saw the girl. Something was off about the dark brown eyes looking Nancy over though, and a shiver ran through her as Barbara held out a hand.

“Nancy…of the Alternative universe. I was curious what you would be like…”

“Barbara…” Nancy uttered, trying to stay levelheaded. She could feel the wine though, and it was beginning to take over her speech, “I…I’m sorry…”

“Sorry? Oh, my dear, I don’t know you. You’ve done nothing to me…” Barbara said, “And unfortunately, I cannot forgive you on behalf of my counterpart either…”

“I know…I…I just…” Nancy struggled, then sighed, “I just had to say it. To you. Because I won’t ever get to talk to Barbara again, but…”

“But you can…of course,” Barbara waved Ally and Stacy away, and put a hand around Nancy’s shoulder, “And I wish I could give you what you wanted. When I found out my counterpart was in the undead world with Mike and Jonathan, I was shocked and disturbed, as you can no doubt imagine. And I wished, with my counterintelligence skills, I had the opportunity to resist and evade the monster instead of your friend. But, as you know, things went different here…”

“Right, you…you were with them…with Steve and Jonathan…”

“Well…in a sense, yes. Though…Nancy made sure my true desires weren’t met…” Barbara’s grip suddenly became very tight on Nancy, which held her in place as the mirror version of her old friend continued, “For you see, after I helped set Steve and Nancy up, I made every effort to try to undermine the relationship in her eyes. It was part of a plan. A plan that failed. For you see...once she was invited to his house, I encouraged her not to go, which, in turn, led her to invite me. Where, I had an opportunity, to be Steve’s woman!” Barbara was now talking in a loud whisper in Nancy’s ear, and the girl was holding her very tight, “And an opportunity rose to impress Steve...by catching Jonathan spying on us…but...he…took my place. Steve…fucked that boy…and Nancy, so much. He couldn’t be bothered with me…they pleasured each other, all night. Tommy and Carol were even outsiders, and I was left out…”

“I…she…I’m not…”

“Right, she isn’t you. You didn’t catch that Jonathan, nor did you steal that Steve from me…so…perhaps you should not except me to grant you forgiveness!” Barbara yelled this and released Nancy with a shove, sending her to the ground.

“Stupid bitch…” Barbara muttered, and Nancy could see it, a heartless, coldness in her eyes. Nancy felt frozen, and defeated, lied on the floor for several seconds. Then, she was lifted by Mirror Nancy, who stood her up, dusted her off, then looked at Barbara.

“Get out. You should have never come…”

“Your lover invited me. Though, you hate him nearly as much as me…so he probably did this in some vain attempt to rekindle your love for him…”

“I said, get out!” Mirror Nancy ordered. Mirror Barbara smiled slightly, then turned and walked away, with Stacy and Ally close behind her. Nancy began to feel a messy mix of emotions, irritation, sadness, emptiness, desperation, and fear. Fear mainly because she was trying to make sense of what that Barbara was suggesting. Her Barbara hadn’t hoped to be with Steve, had she? She didn’t think so, but…Nancy couldn’t exactly remember the sequence of events leading up to that night either. There was one thing that was the same though…Nancy knew for a fact she had abandoned Barbara to sleep with Steve, just like in this universe. And…now, Nancy wondered if Barbara was more angry about that than she had first thought. Was Barbara’s last thought of Nancy hatred, for stealing the man she wanted? Nancy hoped this was wrong, tried to recall memories to prove it was wrong, but she couldn’t. She then tried to rationalize it: killing or at least wounding the demigorgon, beating Mind-flayer and bringing down the DOE facility made up for what she had done...sort've. But…now, talking to Barb again…she felt more than ever that it was her fault. Her stupid desire for Steve had killed her best friend. 

Nancy felt tears welling up in her eyes, and turned from her hard, uncaring Mirror version, trying to leave, but was blocked by Mirror Steve arguing with his parents.

“I did what you said, father…I killed my rival, I maimed that dissident, and I have chosen only the most loyal of allies…I am handling rule here, I don’t need your oversight…we have a plan to deal with the threat, now that they are here…”

“That is what you think, son. But your weakness is clear…” Steve’s father said, flourishing his cape as he spoke, “I have held back the Regional Senate in Indianapolis, but I will not continue if you cannot prove you are worthy of this rule…you need to solve this or I will find another young lord who can…”

“Nothing is ever good enough for you, is it? And you had to lay into the other Steve for what? To make yourself feel better about having a child who is never good enough?”

“Other Steve…” Nancy tried to swallow back a sob, and looked for him briefly around the room. She couldn’t see him, but the thought of Steve conjured the image of Barbara to her mind, and she started to cry again, and pushed through Mirror Steve and his parents toward the door. But she was blocked again, this time, by Jonathan, Will and a terrible version of their mother.

“Jonathan…” Nancy stuttered out through gulps of air. Jonathan turned around, tears on his face, and lowered his head.

“I…Nancy…”

“You wanted to do it, Jonathan. I know, because my son did…and I told him that if he couldn’t’ be of any use, he might as well…just end it...” Mirror Joyce said. This was an incredibly dark tone, and Nancy’s teary eyes grew wide as she figured out what that woman was saying.

“Jonathan…” Nancy tried. Will was standing beside him, also frozen. Joyce turned to him and snorted.

“It makes sense, I guess. If you were raised by a woman as weak as this boy is…”

“I…she’s not weak…” Will tried.

“No, of course not. Because she had the spunk to save you. Strength would have been accepting that you had to die…for the good of your community…” Will was clearly struck hard by this comment, and started to step backward, though Mike grabbed him and started pulling him away.

“These people are terrible, Nancy!” Mike grunted, then kept dragging Will away. Jonathan, looked back at Mirror Joyce, who gave the boy a small smile.

“I suppose I should be glad you weren’t claimed by some 18 year old boy who thinks he’s some sort of leader. You still have some shred of male dignity, though I don’t know if its enough to be worth living…and maybe you don't think that either...”

“Why are you doing this?” Nancy demanded, “Why are you telling your own son to…to…”

“Because…child, hatred breeds survival!” Joyce said. She turned swiftly, and smacked Jonathan, so hard that he crashed onto the table behind him and fell to the ground. He sat up and scooted away from the woman, who clicked her tongue.

“I told Steve to torture you, give you the means to live in this world. But he didn’t listen. He let Nancy hit you and Will throw your food around and yell at you, but I would have made you strong…I would have…”

“Enough!” Nancy said, trying to pick up Jonathan. The boy stood up, then rushed past Joyce, out of the door. Nancy looked over the evil and apparently delusional woman and went after Jonathan. She chased him through the town hall, up the stairs, toward their room. Nancy just caught up with him as he flung open the door, but as they were about to go in the room, they saw Steve sitting on the bed, looking down and clearly not in a good state. Jonathan hesitated, then Steve looked at him, and stood up.

“I’ll leave…” Steve said, “You two can…whatever…” Nancy looked at him, then was seized by another image of Barbara, and felt more tears rise in her eyes. Jonathan however did not move to let Steve past.

“Byers…I’ll go…”

“No…” Jonathan said. Steve looked at him, then was about to work past him, but Jonathan held out an arm, blocking his path.

“Byers…why are you…” Steve started, then he trailed off. Jonathan turned his head, resisting a sob, then looked at Steve again.

“I need…something real…”

“Something from our world…” Nancy added. She suddenly saw something else in Steve. And in Jonathan. Not the horrible, scary memory of Barbara’s death. She saw something that would ground her. Something that would take her back to her universe, even if just for a moment.

“I…guys…”

“I…need…you…” Jonathan struggled through gritted teeth. Steve hesitated, then he looked at Nancy, who nodded.

“We both need you. I think…we need each other…” Nancy, very gently, touched Jonathan’s back, and guided him into the room, shutting the door behind them, “Even if just once…even if just because this place is so bad…” Steve looked over the two, then, very slowly reached out and took Jonathan’s hand, then took Nancy’s hand as well.

“Okay…” Steve said. Nancy looked down at his hands, then smiled up at him. Jonathan was more forward, however, and grabbed Steve by the neck and brought their lips together. Nancy watched it for a moment before she put a hand on Steve’s chest. The boy released Jonathan, and turned to her. Nancy let Steve grip her back, and felt heat rising in her face and clenching start between her legs as Steve’s lips met hers. They mixed their mouths for a few moments, Nancy feeling the smooth skin of Steve’s face and let her hands explore his wild and unkempt hair. She gripped him tighter as Steve’s tongue pressed forward between her teeth, then Nancy, very delicately, pulled away, letting their lips untangle slowly.

Nancy sighed in contentment, then turned to Jonathan and stroked his arm gently. In response, Jonathan’s hands slipped around Nancy, and she let him kiss her. Jonathan was more prickly, kissed with less intensity, but he was…sweet. So sweet. Nancy pulled back from him too, and saw as Steve, very gently, begin very slowly pulling Jonathan’s jacket off. Once the jacket fell to the floor, Steve’s hands slid under Jonathan’s shirt, and Nancy slipped her own hands under to meet Steve’s. Soon, the two of them had Jonathan’s shirt off, and he groaned as Nancy started to kiss him along his neck. Nancy let the bulge in his pants press against hers, then, she felt hands, Steve’s hands, starting to undo her dress. Jonathan pulled back slowly from Nancy and let his hands trace along her side as Steve undressed her to her underwear. Once her clothing was on the floor, Nancy turned to Steve, grabbed him by his fanciful, mirror universe belt, and started undoing it. Soon, his pants came undone, and Nancy pulled them off to expose the tight, mirror universe underwear. Steve undid his jacket and vest, pulling them off to expose his pale, white chest. Nancy bit her lip as she looked over his largely bare form, then, she glanced behind her to see Jonathan pulling off his pants, revealing his mirror universe underwear as well.

“I need you…” Nancy uttered, as both Jonathan and Steve leaned in and began kissing her along her neck, “I need both of you…”

*****

Nancy’s eyes fluttered open, and she turned to the two boys she’d just had. Steve was lying on his back, one arm around Nancy, the other around Jonathan, who’s head was resting on his chest. They’d done it. They’d done exactly what Mirror Steve had wanted. Nancy considered for a moment if maybe this had been planned out by him, but then she decided, she didn’t care. She wanted Steve and Jonathan’s warmth. She wanted both of them to hold her, to take her away from the Mirror Universe to somewhere else. But not really their world either. No, she was here, in a warm dream, with the two boys she cared about more than anyone else.

Nancy reached a hand around and stroked down Steve’s chest, causing the older boy to stir slightly. Eventually, he opened his eyes, and turned to the girl.

“Hey…”

“Hey…” Nancy said. Steve smiled, then looked at Jonathan leaning on his chest. The boy was breathing gently, and Steve brought his hand up and started to stroke the boy’s hair.

“Did you…did you know?” Nancy asked.

“Did I know? That I was…uh…into guys and girls? Yeah. I’ve known for a while. I just…well…obviously I didn’t think it was okay…” Steve muttered. Jonathan started to adjust himself on Steve, and seemed to curl tighter on to the older boy as he stroked his hair.

“I wouldn’t have thought Byers though. I would’ve thought…well…Manly guys…like…uh…”

“Like Tom Cruise…or Harrison Ford?”

“Yeah…I guess…but…” Steve looked at Jonathan, then leaned in and kissed his head. Jonathan remained asleep as Steve’s hand started tracing along his body.

“When we go back…” Nancy started, propping up her head on a pillow, “What are you gonna do? Now that Jonathan and I know?”

“I say we deal with getting back first. Then, Byers and you and can do what you want with me. Maybe, we can be like a sometimes thing, you guys call me when you…need…” Steve trailed off, and sat up, causing Jonathan to fall off of him and Nancy to pull back. Nancy sat up too, looking at Steve, then followed his line of sight to see their rooms door wide open, and standing in the doorway, was them. All three of them, their mirror counterparts that is, in the same state of undress. Nancy quickly grabbed sheets to cover breasts, though, her counterpart was nowhere as shy, blocking almost nothing as she crossed her arms. Mirror Jonathan was slightly more reserved, mostly hiding behind Mirror Steve, however, the older boy was rather lewd, his hands on his hips and his very visible manhood hanging limply between his legs.

“You owe me Nancy…” Mirror Steve said, leaning over to the mirror version of the girl’s ear, “I was right…they ended up doing it, the exact same trio. See, you didn’t believe it was meant to be. Here…is proof of concept…” Mirror Steve said, holding out a hand. Nancy tried not to look to see if Mirror Steve was stiffening, and instead looked at Mirror Nancy, who glared back coldly at her counterpart. Nancy glanced back briefly to see their Jonathan was, like his opposite, behind Steve, looking a little unsure. She looked at Mirror Nancy, who then groaned and started to walk away.

“Fine…” Mirror Nancy muttered, “You were right. Maybe…in this universe, with our rules…”

“We’re meant to be…” Mirror Steve said, smiling. Nancy, by then, had let her gaze drop, and saw the older boy had become quite hard as he watched the girl go, “Come on Jonathan, let’s go…enjoy ourselves…” Mirror Jonathan nodded and both he and Mirror Steve started to walk away. Mirror Steve turned back after a few steps, and looked back with a smile.

“Don’t have too much fun, yet. Once we defeat the Mind-flayer tomorrow…you’ll need to be able to celebrate again…” Mirror Steve bounced his eyebrows, then turned, leaving Nancy with the view of the rear ends of both boys. She finally averted her eyes, and looked back at Steve and Jonathan, who both looked away and seemed embarrassment. The feeling of being away, of escaping the mirror universe, was gone, and they were back, and now, even worse, were on display for their mirror versions like zoo animals. Nancy got up quickly and started to dress herself, then looked back at the two boys.

“We…we need to end this. So that we can go home…” Steve and Jonathan both nodded, then Nancy turned back to the door of the room, where their dopplegangers had just been, “We’ve got to go back…before we turn into them…”


	20. The Starcourt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, welcome to part 3. I've set out what my plan is for the rest of this section and the end of the story, but I can't promise how fast I'll be posting now that school has started. However, this section was written with material from season 3, so, new stuff and some-sort've-spoilers. Thanks for comments and kudos!

_Dustin_

“Let’s go! Load up!” Ted Wheeler ordered, directing several men moving weapons and equipment to a collection of armored cars parked just outside the walls of downtown Hawkins. He turned to the four boys, Mike in the front with Lucas and Will behind, and, bringing up the rear, Dustin. They were all in versions of the combat gear; tight grey and red outfits that seemed to both moved smoothly and breathed well on the three boys in front of him, but, for Dustin, it was chaffing around his crotch and was making him start to sweat.

“You four, on me. Lord Harrington is at the Starcourt…”

“The Starcourt…like that mall they’re building in Hawkins right now? Mirror Steve’s running his operation out of a mall?” Dustin asked. Mike looked at him, then at Will who sighed and shook his head.

“I’m sure this is a much eviler version, Dustin…” Will muttered. Dustin frowned, and turned to Lucas, who shrugged. Mike, meanwhile put a hand on Will's shoulder, probably trying to comfort him. Then, Mike was really holding the boy's arm, looking into his eyes and starting to lean in. Dustin sighed in relief when Lucas smacked the black-haired boy's hand away.

“You mirror father is going to be long gone if we don’t go now!” Lucas grumbled. Dustin could see Mirror Ted Wheeler was quickly walking away, and soon might’ve disappeared in the busyness of the soldiers and loading going on around him.

“Right…sorry…” Mike said, letting go of Will slowly, then moving to lead the boys after the evil version of his father. Dustin wasn’t happy with the way Mike and Will were making eyes at each other in that world. It wasn’t because he wouldn’t support that if they both wanted it…maybe. But he suspected that the world they were in was encouraging such behavior. It was definitely encouraging the swagger of the boys in front of him. Mike was walking with his head high and chest puffed out. Lucas, in sync with him, deftly checked his wrist-rocket, releasing the small gun barrel from the device, then slipping it back into place. Even Will didn’t seem scared at all. He was oozing confidence, which Dustin was feeling none of, tugging at his collar and sleeves.

Ted didn’t say anything as the boys tried to keep up with them, and before long he’d moved them past a set of derelict cars and trucks to an enormous vehicle. It had four sets of two wheels, and was at least fifteen feet high. The body was marked with a number of antennae, scanners, fan systems, and two big tubes jutting out of the front that looked to Dustin an awful lot like missile launchers. It was a dark camouflage color and had a big door in the front. Dustin could see that beyond Ted and in front of that door were three figures, though, once they got close enough, he could tell by their unscarred faces that they were their versions of Nancy, Steve and Jonathan. All three were in similar combat gear to the boys, though Steve’s had spiked metallic coverings over his shoulders and seemed particularly domineering in his outfit.

“Here they are, sir…” Ted said, saluting to Steve, who nodded. Dustin saw there was something about the way Steve was moving too. A certain arrogance he projected as he waved Mike’s mirror father away.

“Thank you, Mr. Wheeler…” Steve said.

“Took you all long enough…” Nancy muttered, focusing in particular at Mike. Dustin moved past Nancy to look over Steve, eyeing especially the sharp teeth that protruded from his shoulders.

“Wow!” Dustin said, “You look…like your mirror version. You sounded like him too, for a second there…”

“Shut up,” Steve said, giving Dustin a sneer, “That other version of me won’t let me dress myself, so I wear what I’m given…” Steve turned and knocked on the large armored vehicle and held out a hand, “Welcome to Starcourt mall, guys. I know everyone was excited to get a sneak peak of it in our world. Well, here, it’s a mobile command center…and weapon for subjugating people…”

“Yes, well…it’s all the rage for Town Lords to have one, Steve…” Dustin turned with the others of their world to almost all their Mirror versions approaching. And they were dressed…exactly like their counterparts, both Nancy’s navels exposed, Jonathan’s two piece uniforms marked by a round, decorative belt of gold and black, and both Steve’s with spiked pauldrons. Mirror Will was sauntering like his opposite, Mirror Lucas was checking his wrist-rocket, and Mirror Dustin, his ridiculously stupid counterpart, was tugging grumpily at his collar. _No…no…_ Dustin thought, feeling terror well up in him, _We’re turning into them. We…we have to leave! Soon!_

Of their group, only the mirror version of El, this strange looking Eight, seemed different. The girl was in something like a hospital gown, with no hair, small sandals, and moved only as Mirror Nancy moved. Dustin was glad in some sense that El couldn’t see her, but he also would feel a lot more comfortable around this version if he knew he could call on their version and her dramatic powers for help.

 “I’m sorry I can’t send one home with you, Steve…might help you become a person of note in your world…” Mirror Steve said to his counterpart, snapping Dustin back to reality. Or at least some reality. Mirror Steve then held out a hand, and probably on command, the forward door of the vehicle opened. This revealed a ramp that led to the forward room of the vehicle, which had numerous screens and work stations visible inside, “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Starcourt Command Center. My chief economist, Mr. Kline, obtained it for me…” Dustin glanced back at the monstrous car, and saw that on the side was a flag. It was defined by an eagle, with wings bent downward, on a blue circle, with stripes of alternating red and white colors behind. It was also marked with numerous stars defining a border, and Dustin suspected this was the flag of this nation, the Kingdom of America.

“Come on Dustin…let’s get this over with…and go home…” Steve said. Dustin stopped in front of him, then glanced back his friends…or what had been his friends…

“Steve…we have to leave…soon…”

“What? We haven’t…”

“No, Steve, we’re turning into these people. If we’re not careful, we could…be…”

 “Become them. No, Dustin, we’re not these evil people…And they’re not going to make us evil…” Nancy said to the boy, then she pushed past Steve and going inside the Starcourt. Dustin watched her go up the ramp, then glanced back to his very close, much older friend. He could see that even Steve wasn’t sure what Nancy said was true, not anymore. They had to get this over with or…Dustin didn’t exactly know, but it wouldn’t be good…

“I hope she's right…” Dustin said as he walked with Steve up the entrance ramp into the Starcourt.

Inside, it was as militaristic as Dustin had imagined; the front room had six large round screens surrounded by numerous button, radios, and wires as well as a central projector that seemed to depict what was in front of the vehicle. Some of the screens were pixelated, but others were projecting maps and military bases layouts. On the consoles near the screens were also numerous big, blood-red, dangerous looking buttons and similarly colored radio systems that the boy wasn’t really keen to learn about.

Eventually, the group passed these screens to enter a room that seemed set up for conferences, with a large, central table and numerous chairs around it. Mirror Steve took his place on one side of it, and turned to the group, half mirror, half their world. Dustin wasn’t happy, but he supposed that if his friends, older and younger, made a great team, doubling with their mirrors was making a really great team. The Mind-flayer was gonna pay for reaching into this world too…assuming the people of that world didn’t try kill them. Anymore than they already had.

Mirror Steve looked over the group with an impish smile, then snapped, and from the back part of the Starcourt, Billy appeared, along with a girl, maybe Nancy’s age, a blond-brunette with messy hair. She was, like Nancy, in a tight two piece militaristic uniform that showed her navel and most of her thighs. However, she seemed a little unsteady as she moved, and Mike could see that the thick cut on the right side of her face went through a grey, unfocused eye. The girl had a number of maps under one arm as she entered, and she set them out on the table then bowed dramatically to Mirror Steve.

“Hmph…have no fear Nancy, nor you Jonathan…” Mirror Steve said to the non-Mirror versions, then held out a hand to the girl, “This is no threat to you. Ladies and gentlemen…this is Robin…one of the best workers here on my Starcourt…and frequently, one of my most useful non-military allies.”

“Yes sir…” Robin said. She bowed again, then turned and left, and Dustin could see Steve was watching her closely as she hobbled out to the rear rooms.

“Were we supposed to know who that was?” Steve asked, then looked back at Jonathan and Nancy. After a moment, Jonathan snapped his fingers.

“Robin…Buckley. That girl…she’s in your grade, or was. She…played some instrument…I think?”

“She is also fluent in several languages…” Mirror Steve said with a dark smile, “But, it might interest you to know Nancy, that Robin is…”

“Stop!” Mirror Nancy ordered, tugging her Steve sharply and slamming her other hand on the table, “We can do this later. We have a monster to slay…”

“Yes, of course…” Mirror Steve said. He began shuffling through the large maps until he found a military layout of Hawkins and the surrounding area, which he brought to the top. Billy handed him a red marker, and he began to circle targets on the image.

“Okay, so, I have summoned almost all of the Hawkins town guard. They will launch a two fold assault, here, at the remnants of the lab and here, at this heavy concentration of tunnels…” Mirror Steve circled both spots, then moved to point at Eugene’s farm, “However, these are distractions. We are personally going to  taking out the key targets. Nancy…” Mirror Steve looked at his version of the girl, “Is going to move as quietly as possible toward the “gate” with Eight…” Steve circled Will’s house on the map, then looked up at the group, “She’ll protect the freak while she does her work…” Mirror Nancy nodded, then looked at the other Nancy.

“Would you…assist us? I can’t watch every angle for Eight. I would be more able to protect her if I had…another version of myself…”

“I…okay…” Nancy said, nodding. Mirror Nancy looked back at Mirror Steve who bounced his eyebrows at her counterpart.

“Now, Alternative Steve here, as I asked you earlier this morning, I’ll need a strong leader to take a team through the tunnels to the heart…”

“And I said I’ll do it. I’ll take your team of soldiers in there…” Steve said. Mirror Steve clicked his tongue, and pointed at him with the marker.

“We can’t risk you drawing more attention to yourself by having armed guards with you. I’ve decided, Alternative Steve, that you will instead take some of these boys with you…”

“What?”

“You all did it before in your world, didn’t you?” Mirror Steve asked, signaling to Lucas, Dustin and Mike, “You should be capable of it in this world, with twice the number. And we’ll hope for minimal casualties…”

“Hope?” Dustin asked, his eyes wide. Mike stepped in front of him, and nodded to Mirror Steve.

“We’ll go with him…”

“Oh no, Mr. Wheeler…not you…” Mirror Steve said, smiling, “That would draw as much attention as a platoon of soldiers. That’s why I’ve another idea for you, and the Jonathans and Wills…”

“And what’s that?” this came from an irritated Nancy, who look quite unhappy at the prospect of Mike, Will and Jonathan doing something risky.

“It’s a rather normal military tactic. With the heavy number of vines, Demogorgons and Demidogs in the area, we have to draw as much attention away from the key groups. Jonathan here will lead his alternative version, as well as the Wills and Mike into the tunnels as well, but they will be moving in the opposite direction, only a few hundred feet…” Mirror Steve drew out the route, “They should then leave the tunnels here, and meet up with some of the forces which will be attacking the heavy tunnel concentration here. My soldiers will bring them to a defensive position here, where they will be safe, and hopefully, the Mind-flayer will be obsessively fixed on this spot, leaving you...” Mirror Steve signaled to his counterpart, “To destroy the heart with the Dustins and Lucas’s, and Nancy to help El close the gate.”

“No…I don’t…” Steve started, but Nancy cut him off.

“We can’t let Jonathan put himself in danger like that…” Nancy demanded.

“No…we have too…” this didn’t come from Mirror Nancy or Steve even Mirror Jonathan, but from their Jonathan, “We have to draw the attention away from you. This world is heavily infested. There are too many monsters. I’ll take the risk. And obviously my counterpart will. But…” Jonathan looked at his brother and shook his head, “You have to stay. I won’t let you risk yourself.”

“Jonathan, if we’re all together, the Mindflayer will chase us. It won’t look for anyone else…”Will said. Mirror Will snorted and leaned against a wall.

“The crybaby is right. If all five of us are together, the Mindflayer will probably lose it. Our time in the tunnel will be risky though…”

“I will accompany them…” Billy said. Mirror Steve shook his head and pointed at Steve.

“No, you’re going with him and keeping him safe. I’ve got a better idea for protecting the boys…” Everyone looked as the back door opened again. Robin stepped out, bowed, then a gruff woman, in a tight full body suit, armored around her upper arms, legs and torso, and with an AR-15 slung over her back. The woman pushed her hair out of her face, and revealed herself to be Joyce Byers, long scar across her face and cold, dark eyes that Mike had only briefly seen the previous night.

“I’ll keep my boys safe…I’ve taught my children to survive…and I think that my Alternative version has too…”


	21. Well Laid Plans

_Jonathan_

“We’re here! Let’s go!” Mirror Nancy roared. The front door of the Starcourt opened, and she bounded down the steps, both of her guns raised. Eight followed her out, floating to her side, blood already slipping down her nose. Then Nancy started down, but stopped and turned back to the others.

“Be careful Nancy…” Steve said. Nancy smiled at him, then looked at Jonathan. And Jonathan ached to reach out an kiss her, hard, to wish her luck with a long hug, but he couldn’t. They couldn’t do anything, because it was exactly what the mirror versions, or at least Mirror Steve wanted. And so they couldn’t. Even though the three of them had already had sex…and no one who was going to share that truth was there with them. In fact, it was just Billy, Robin, Mirror Steve, and Mirror Jonathan standing in the front, seeing the three off.

“You too Steve. And you too Jonathan…” Jonathan hesitated, then blurted out at her.

“I love you!” Jonathan spat. He would have slapped his mouth closed and slammed his head on a wall if it wouldn’t have made such a scene. Why was he being this way? Making it awkward, and doing exactly what they agreed they didn’t want to do. Why couldn’t he control himself…

“I love you too Jonathan. Be safe, please…” Nancy answered. Jonathan couldn’t believe it. But, he and her had been dating. Maybe it would be okay, a vague explanation, or maybe an old habit…but then, Nancy went on.

“Come back okay? Please…and Steve, I love you too. I don’t care what it means. Come home…both of you.” Nancy finished. Jonathan was now really stuck and confused. Before he could say anything else, Mike came out of the back. Jonathan glanced at the boy, who looked at his sister, and didn’t really seem interested in either Steve or Jonathan.

“Nancy…I…don't die here...please...”

“It’s okay Mike. I'll be okay. And you'll be okay too…” Nancy said, reaching out and touching his cheek, then turning away, toward where Mirror Nancy was already starting to move into position stake out to the Byer's house. Jonathan tried to swallow back fear, fear about turning into his counterpart beside him. Steve, however, gave a threatening look at Mirror Steve, who simple let out a laugh, then turned to Robin.

“They’re off! Let’s move to the next entrance!”

“Yes sir! Here we go!” Robin looked up at the command center in front of her, a big military map with a big blinking dot representing their location. She began pressing buttons, as did Billy and soon, the Starcourt’s door had closed and it was rolling toward their next target. The farm, Eugene's farm, on the other side of town, where the other groups would enter. Mike sighed deeply, then walked to the back room of the Starcourt.

“Alright…come on Jonathan…” Mirror Steve ordered. Mirror Jonathan followed his lover and ruler out, leaving Jonathan and Steve with the two other teenagers in the front room. Jonathan looked at Steve for a few moments, then the younger boy felt the same ache as he’d felt with Nancy, a desire to reach out and run his fingers over Steve’s arms, across Steve’s chest, through Steve’s hair.

“Come on, Jonathan…” Steve said, reaching out and putting a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. The younger boy pushed back feeling of desire and doubt at the same time, and moved with the older boy back into the conference room, where their charges were split into two groups already. Each younger boy had a weapon of some sort in their hand, though neither Dustin looked capable of wielding the pistols they had. Jonathan noted Mirror Will had a long barreled pistol, and he flung another version of it at his Will, who gripped the weapon a little more easily than he would have preferred. Jonathan noted Mirror Will had a long barreled pistol, and his Will was gripping another version of the weapon a little more easily than he would have preferred. His version of Will stood up as Jonathan came into the room and looked at Mike, who seemed sullen with his small gun.

“I hope Nancy will be okay…” Will said. Mike, after a moment, seemed to snap out of it, snorted, and looked at Jonathan.

“I’m not worried about her. In fact, I’d be more worried about us, Will. We’re going into the tunnels with everything the Mind-flayer wants…”

“Yeah, you might as well go to sleep and just let the Mind-flayer know where we are, Will…” Dustin said, risking a touch on his large pistol. Jonathan saw Will look at him and frown thoughtfully.

“I actually didn’t have a dream about the Mind-flayer last night. It was only that nap where I…saw it…” Will trailed off. Mirror Will grumbled from where he was sitting.

“I’m so glad you didn’t summon the Mind-flayer to us again. I would've kicked its ass had you called it, but…” Will rolled his eyes at her counterpart, then looked at Mike.

“Did you dream about the Mind-flayer?”

“No. But I’m dead in this world…so, it probably wouldn’t even try…” Mike said. Then, both looked at Jonathan.

“Did you?”

“It’s unlikely, the Mind-flayer never caught me…I doubt it had the capacity to reach me…” Mirror Jonathan suggested. Jonathan was about to confirm his hypothesis, but then, a thought was scratching at his brain. A dream he’d had, while he was wrapped in Steve’s arms. He was sitting in a field. At first, was alone, then, there were arms around him, one from Steve, the other from Nancy and the other...that girl, Robin. He’d had a vague sense the three were talking, about him or something else, he didn’t know, but as they were talking, something started to happen around him. It seemed like the very ground around him started to rip up, big, thunderous noises followed by hulking masses of a fleshy spikes. A horrible towering thing, roaring at him and the others. Then, there was loud scratching, something pressing against his mind, though there was no meaning in it, other than rage. That he recognized. Rage. Then, his eyes were open, and he slipped off of Steve’s body, and the dream faded, weak, and was almost gone. But now, something was bringing this memory back to the surface.

“No, I…I saw…something…when I…last night…”

“You did?” Mike asked.

“When you left the party? Where did you end up going when you left the party, Jonathan?” Will asked. Jonathan hesitated, then Steve cleared his throat.

“What did you see? Was it something…important?”

“What my counterpart is wondering…” Mirror Steve began, “Is if the dream… gave you a hint about the Mind-flayer? Or what to do about it?”

“I…no…” Jonathan said, sighing, “But…I think…I think…the Mind-flayer…had some other form. Something even worse…a body for the Mind-flayer to use and…this thing is almost ready…”

“That’s…bad…” Dustin said. Mirror Steve held up a hand and pointed.

“It’s worse than that, Mr. Henderson…we already have demidogs and evil vines to contend with. We are totally unready for anything more advanced. Further, if it can use the almost complete tunnels to some advantage, it may almost be too late…” Mirror Steve surmised.

“A body? Do you know what…it was?” Steve muttered.

“I don’t know for sure…but it looked like flesh and bone…but in the shape of…the thing…” Jonathan said. There was a rumble outside, then the Starcourt seemed to begin moving quicker.

"Enough. We've no more time for preparation. We have to defeat it, whatever form it takes, as soon as possible..." Mirror Steve said. He turned to the back door, where Mirror Joyce emerged, carrying a large assault rifle, and with ammo straps on her shoulders. Jonathan also saw that the rifle that had an attachment that he assumed would launch something explosive, like a grenade.

“Jonathan…you’ll need this…” Mirror Jonathan said, snapping the boy away from the terrifying Joyce Byers. The weapon the boy held was something between an assault and a sniper rifle, a long, though not overly so, barrel, a fatter body which seemed to have a lot of ammunition packed on it, and a scope that bent slight up toward him. Jonathan took the weapon carefully, then hoisted it up, as if to take aim. It was incredibly light and felt good in Jonathan’s hands, and as he looked through the scope, he could see a clear picture, almost like it was a video camera. Then he drew back from it, and looked on the side. Because it wasn’t just the sight. The whole weapon was a just like his first video camera, a Sony, which he had filmed Will and his mother with last year, except with a barrel and ammo instead of video screen. And on the side of this weapon, SONY was printed in big letters. Jonathan swallowed hard, then glanced at his counterpart, who lowered his eyes.

“I’m going to assume Sony isn’t a weapon’s manufacturer from Japan that started after America nuked them in Second World War…”

“…well…they aren’t a weapon manufacturer …but…” Jonathan hoisted the weapon again, and had to admit it felt pretty good, “They seem to know how to make good equipment in both worlds…” Mirror Jonathan smiled and pointed.

“I would feel better if you…were armed too. Normally I wouldn’t think of needing to protect Will…but…” Mirror Jonathan hesitated, then sighed, “You love your brother…and that’s…something special…”

“Enough…” Mirror Joyce spat, picking up another Sony weapon and shoving it into her Jonathan’s hands, “I didn’t raise a crybaby. Get ready, I feel the Starcourt slowing…” Mirror Joyce moved past the two, then Mirror Jonathan quickly followed her to the front room. Jonathan looked over his weapon again, then at an approaching Steve.

 “That looks dangerous…”

“I wouldn’t use this if I didn’t have to…”

“Would’ve made the fight in our world easier…” Steve said. Jonathan let out a breathless laugh, then, wanted to do something. Something to show he cared about Steve. Because apparently he did… Jonathan gripped the gun with one hand, then reached out with his other and started to slide his fingers down the boy’s arm. Steve sighed then grabbed the hand.

“Jonathan…not here…”

“I…”

“Steve!” Mirror Steve moved quickly to his counterpart’s side and gave him a big grin, which caused Jonathan to draw his hand back from Steve, “Don’t think I would leave you unarmed in these tunnels…”

“I don’t need a heavy gun or…”

“No, no!” Mirror Steve said, and instead held up what looked to Jonathan to be a metal bat. With a really fat top.

“What is this?”

“A little something Mr. Clarke whipped up for you. Press that button there…” Mirror Steve pointed to a small red square near where Steve would keep his thumb. Steve did as he was told and spikes burst from the fat head of the bat.

“Whoa…”

“That button releases them and pulls them back in…” Mirror Steve said, “And it’s been balanced for me to be able to use easily. Which means it should work for you…”

“We’re almost here sir!” Robin called from the front. Mirror Steve held out a gloved hand, and Jonathan and Steve moved, along with the younger children, to the front. Mirror Joyce was looking particularly ready for battle, and while Jonathan wasn’t sure he was ready to be chased by the full power of the Mind-flayer, he was sure this woman wouldn’t let them go down without a fight. The Starcourt slowed to a crawl, then with Robin keying a few buttons, the front opened, and revealed the remains of Merrill’s destroyed farm.

“Here we go! Stay on me!” Joyce called. Jonathan swallowed, then looked at Will and Mike who each hugged both Lucas and Dustin.

“Don’t get killed, Will…” Lucas said.

“You either, Mike…” Dustin added.

“Same with you two…” Mike said, “You’re in just as much danger as us…” Will looked over the group and sighed.

“Remember…don’t become them…”

“Right…” Mike said, putting a hand out. Dustin, Lucas, and Will put hands out too. Jonathan watched the little ritual, then Mirror Jonathan cleared his throat and pointed.

“We need to move…”

“Right…” Jonathan moved back, put hands on both Mike and Will, and pushed them forward. They dropped into the muck, then Jonathan glanced back to Steve, who was also unloaded and moving with both Lucases and Dustins and Billy toward another opening. Steve turned to Jonathan raised his bat and opened the spikes and gave him a big grin.

“Let’s kick this motherfucker’s ass!”


	22. The Mind-flayer

_Will_

Will’s first thought, when he entered the tunnels after Mike but before his brother, was how strangely illuminated the it was. He felt the cool, dank air that made it clear he was underground, but there was an ominous light, like the moonlight in horror movies, that lit up the spores floating around them. Will tried not to concentrate too much on the strange environment, and so, he continued to follow Mike and his counterpart, and his counterpart's mother into what was hopefully just a short trip underground.

“I really wish El was here…” Mike muttered as stumbled over a settle of well entrenched vines.

“El…again…” Will muttered. Mike looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Nothing Mike. It’s just…we’re about to die here in the Mirror Universe and you’re talking about how you wish El was…”

“Nobody is dying!” Mirror Joyce yelled from ahead of them.

“Yeah, so stop crying about it…” Mirror Will muttered, then looked at Mike, “This is who you choose? Him? That little baby…”

“Will. Be quiet!” Mirror Jonathan called from behind them. Will glanced back to see his Jonathan frowning, trying his best to hold his Sony weapon correctly. Will turned back to Mike, then lowered his eyes. It was stupid. But he felt like if there was anytime for Mike to really show he cared…

“We’re moving through tunnel six, then heading to staging point five. My men are already digging an exit for us there…” Mirror Joyce instructed, looking at something beeping on her assault rifle as she moved forward.

“Your men?” Jonathan asked.

“Her men are a set of Russian Infiltrator Defectors…" Mirror Jonathan said, "They fought with her in El Salvador…and are loyal to her. Therefore, if she calls…they come…”

“Of course…Russians…” Jonathan grumbled. Will looked down, trying not to think about how terrifying Mirror Universe Russians might be. There was then the sound of static, and Will glanced at his walkie-talkie. Dustin’s voice started to come through.

“This is Red 2 checking in…” Dustin said, then Lucas’s voice came in the background.

“Red 2? You’re Red 3! I’m Red 2!”

“What? No, you’re Red 3!”

“Oh, so I blow up!”

“Shut up! All of you, shut up!” Steve’s voice roared over the walkie-talkie.

“Red Leader is right. Maintain radio silence unless there is something really important!”

“He’s Red Leader? Him? Why don’t I be Red Leader, then you can be…” Mike finally snatched the walkie-talkie form Will and turned it on.

“Guys, stop! You’re drawing attention to us and we’re not in position!” Mike yelled. Then, there was nothing but static. The sound of increasingly loud static.

“Guys?” Mike asked, turning the radio on again. The only response was the still increasing sound of static. Then Will felt it. It was like a horrible wind that lowered the temperature in the whole of the tunnel. Goosebumps started to rise on the back of Will’s neck, and he felt cold. So cold. It was him. It was the Mind-flayer.

“Mike…Jonathan…” Will started, but Mike was trying to work on the radio, turning the dials and grumbling.

“This stupid thing. You have freaking laser weapons here, why don’t you have something better than walkie-talkies…”

“Do you know of something better for short range communication?” Mirror Jonathan asked.

“Guys…I think…” Will began, but Mike held up the radio and started hitting it.

“Some telephones work a lot better! Heck, I think our mayor has one in his car, at least, that's what my father told me!” Mike muttered, now shaking the device, “Come on, work!”

“Telephones? You have access to telephones? Only the government has telephone access in this world…” Mirror Jonathan said. Will, Mike and Jonathan stopped and stared at the man, who shrugged. It was Mirror Will who explained though.

“It helps to control sedition…If people can’t fraternize on something that’s untraceable…”

“No telephones?” Mike spat. Will thought about it a moment. He supposed he hadn’t seen a telephone booth. But how…how did they get in touch with each other?How did they plan DnD events? How did they alert their parents when evil monsters started attacking their town?

“This universe is…” Will started, then the cold again. He had to warn them,

“No wonder you all are so messed up!” Mike grunted, "No freaking telephones..."

“Guys!” Will yelled. Joyce, leading the group, held up a fist, stopping them from moving, then turned around.

“What, Will?” Mike asked. Sounding annoyed. That stupid boy should be grateful. Will was about to tell everyone that the Mind-flayer was there, someone, and in pursuit of…

“Quiet, all of you!” Mirror Joyce roared, then looked around, holding up her weapon. Will couldn’t hear anything other than that insistent static. Mike glanced at her, then started fiddling with the radio again, which led Joyce to snatch it from him and slam it into the ground. The radio static continued though, which led her to raise her gun and shoot the device. And, in the flash of the bright light, Will saw movement. A lot of movement. Will started to stumble back, and turned to see the Jonathans, his mirror and Mike had seen it too.

“What the shit? What is all that?”

“Go! Get moving!” Mirror Joyce yelled, raising her weapon and starting to fire. And in the bright light, Will could see...a lot. A lot of thing moving around the tunnels behind him. Somehow, they were blending in to the dim light. Then, Will understood why. There were a few demidogs, and some really dark vines, but but others were…something else small and numerous. Like…rats maybe? Will stopped trying to understand and instead started to run away, as fast and quick as he could, Mirror Will and Mike in tow. The Jonathans were following, trying to give cover fire, while Joyce seemed to be holding back the army by herself. Will rushed as quick as he could, the coldness chasing him, looking for him. But, it was moving around, searching for the others too. Another Will, another Mike, Jonathans, two of them. Will sensed the Mind-flayer was now deeply thrilled. So much it wanted, here, right there, right then. Will felt the ground shudder, and tried his best to stay upright. Then, Mike grabbed his arm and pointed. Beyond them, in the distance, was a small, bright light. An opening…

Mike and Will started to run toward it, Mirror Will, the Jonathans and Joyce bringing up the rear. His Jonathan was now wielding his Sony gun almost as well as Mirror Jonathan was, but Will wasn't really thinking about it. The coldness was blocking out almost everything. Only the light, he and Mike and Mirror Will's chance to escape mattered. He could see that ahead of them, dirt was being throw aside, and soon there would be enough room for them to get out. For just a second, Will noticed that it was working. The plan...everything seemed to be in place. The Mind-flayer's focus was fixed on them, completely, Will could feel it. Nothing else mattered.

“Hey! We’re here!” Will yelled. A man looked into the opening, a small, thin man with big, thick glasses and curly black hair. He was in body armor and had a semi-automatic in his hand, which he raised at the approaching Will and said something in Russian. Will slowed down as they approached him, but Mirror Will shoved past them and flung out his arm.

“Alexi! Move! We have to get out! Give my mother cover!” Alexi, as Mirror Will called him, nodded, then waved forward. Other soldiers in body armor moved into the tunnel, while Alexi helped pulled Will, then Mike, then Mirror Will and finally the Jonathans out. Once they had they were outside, at the edge of the tunnel, Will took a minute to recover his breath. Mike, meanwhile, was nearly doubled over in pain, panting and laying down on the ground. Mirror Will was looking over them, with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue. Will tried his best to give the boy a sour look, then noticed they were at the foot of a hill. A hill on the outskirts of Hawkins, where these Russian soldiers had set up an antennae. A radio antennae.

“We…we aren’t suppose to be here…not yet…not until…July…” Will muttered. It was like...the coldness was giving him double vision. He didn't understand it, really, but he could see where he was in this world, and where he would be in his own world...on this same hill. But it hadn't happened yet in their world…so that meant...it was the future. As the future should have been…

“What?” Jonathan asked. He glanced at the panting Mike, then back at Will.

“I…I know that we come here…to contact someone…for Dustin…” Will said. It was like…the Mind-flayer reaching out for him was giving him visions of the future. Bad visions. Of his world. He was never meant to come here, and the longer he was hear, the more the future he could see was falling apart. By this mirror universe.

“Are you having visions?” Jonathan asked, “Tell me if something is wrong!”

“I…its…” Will couldn’t answer, as there was the sound of earth and dirt ripping apart, like what he imagined the sound of a fissure to be. He turned in time to see an enormous vine rise up out of the tunnel and reach up into the air. Just at that moment, Will saw Alexi jump out of the hole into the tunnel, and with the help of a large, ruggedly scared man, they pulled Mirror Joyce up out of the ground. Will looked back to the antennae and saw the Russians, Joyce’s Russians, about ten, dressed in what Will assumed were Russian uniforms, though their Soviet stars were ripped away and replaced by the Kingdom of America flags. Those men raised their guns and took aim at the vine. Will was grabbed roughly by Jonathan and dragged up toward their position. In his other hand was Mike who was struggling to keep up.

“Wait, I…I need a breather!” Mike called.

“No! I’m not going back to Nancy telling her I let her brother die!” Jonathan yelled. Will could see Mirror Will and Mirror Jonathan were already taking cover behind the firing Russians, who seemed to be holding off the vine. Jonathan reached them, flinging Will and Mike down, then taking cover himself. Will turned in time to see Alexi draw a big tube from a suitcase and load it with a small rocket. Will watched in both horror and thrill as the mirror version of his mother took the weapon from the Russian and raised it.

“Die, you son of a bitch…” Mirror Joyce fired the rocket, sending it exploding into the vine, which burst into flames and shriveled up with an thundering whine. Will felt the coldness fading, like the Mind-flayer was moving away.

“No! No, it can’t!”

“What?”

“The Mind-flayer…its starting to fade…I’m feeling it...it’s not here…”

“You can feel it? Are you telling it all our secret plans?” Mirror Will questioned, though he was pushed back by Mirror Jonathan.

“The Mind-flayer must stay fixed on us. We cannot risk it turning its attention elsewhere! Nancy, yours and mine…and your Steve…” Mirror Jonathan said. Mike picked up a gun that was obviously too large for him and tried to cock it.

“Okay then, we’ll just have to counterattack so that…” Mike began, but Will put a hand on him. Because, he suddenly felt incredibly cold. As cold as he had ever felt when he was controlled. The Mind-flayer was right there. Reaching directly for him.

_Will…I was saving this…this lovely creation for that powerful girl who attacked me…but I suppose I will have to use it on you…come here…come here…now!_

The dirt around the entrance was suddenly filled what seemed to be hundreds of rats, which started to squeal and whine and shake together. Then they started to explode in tiny bloody bursts, and those messes of flesh started to move on their own, and slither toward a central point.

“Holy shit…” the Jonathans said in almost perfect sync.

“What the actual fuck is happening?” Mike roared, holding up the gun but shaking as he stumbled back.

“This is fucking it…killed next to my crybaby form…” Mirror Will said. But Will felt his mind slipping away, to see the future in their world again. The monster that was coming. It wasn't meant to exist yet. And that meant they weren't ready for it. They would die in the mirror universe. And their future in their world was almost faded.

“Not…yet…this shouldn’t be…” Will murmured. He looked back to the antennae. The image of him and Dustin and Lucas and Max sitting next to it was nearly gone. He was sure now, he had seen the future they were supposed to have. And they were going to face the Mind-flayer again, in their world. But, he had to survive, they all did. And the only way to do that…

“Jesus, what the fuck is happening, Alexi?” Mirror Joyce yelled, lowering her bazooka and starting to reload it. The bloody messes of rats was starting to increase in size, then, there was a set of beeping. Really loud beeping.

“Are those soldier’s wrist trackers?” Mirror Jonathan said, glancing over at Mirror Will, who had taken a pistol from a Russian and started firing at he bloody mess of rats.

“Sounds like them. But Steve told me that we weren’t getting signals from them, that’s why we thought they were lost…” Mirror Will muttered the bloody mess started to shake and rumbled, then seemed to slip down, leaking into the dirt around it. Then, a large, horrible spike make of flesh that Will suspected was more than rat, lifted out of the ground and slammed into the dirt. It was followed by five more, and then the body of the Mind-flayer’s horrible flesh form was towering over the Joyce and her Russians. And in the middle of its body, Will could see a lot of green lights blinking and making noise.

“Those are…the soldiers…” Mirror Jonathan stuttered out.

"This is what happened to them..." Mirror Will uttered.

“Doesn't matter! It still has to die! Light it up!” Mirror Joyce yelled, firing a bazooka into the thing. It smashed into the head, some flesh burning away, then the Mind-flayer turned back and let out a loud, terrifying roar.

“We have to go…to…to the store…” Will grabbed Mike’s arm and started running up the hill, then passed the antennae and started back down with him. The Mind-flayer flesh form let out another cry, then started stomping forward, knocking Russians aside as it chased Will. He continued to run, praying somehow that he’d be able to keep up, when Jonathan caught up with him, and pointed at a car.

“Go! Get to that car! Go!” Will turned and saw it was an evil looking, but beat up looking Ford Pinto. Will understood and turned with Mike toward it, but only then noticed that it wasn’t his Jonathan. Mirror Jonathan was running toward the vehicle, and apparently had the keys. Will glanced back to see Mirror Will and his Jonathan close behind running with all their might, as behind them, on the top of the hill, was a terrifying, flesh monster in the shape of the Mind-flayer. It let out another roar, then started bounding down the hill. Will then turned back to the car, threw open the back seat, and flung the panting, struggling Mike in, then jumped in himself. Mirror Will jumped in to that seat as well, then his Jonathan got into the trunk. Mirror Jonathan, flinging himself into the front, put in what seemed to be two sets of keys, turned both, then started turning dials and moving levels.

“What is happening? Start the car!” Jonathan yelled from the trunk.

“It takes time here! Stealing cars is a serious problem! There have to be…defensive measures…” Mirror Will yelled, sitting up and looking at the monstrosity stomping toward them. Then, Mirror Jonathan grabbed the gear shift and this seemed to be the final step, as the car suddenly careened forward, out of range of the flesh monster Mind-flayer, which slammed its spikes down on the road.

“Oh thank god…now drive!” Jonathan yelled. Mirror Jonathan hit the gas hard, speeding ahead of the creature, then he glanced up in the vehicle's strangely shaped rear-view mirror at Will.

“Where are we going?” Mirror Jonathan asked.

“We need to go to a store with fireworks!” Will cried. Mirror Will, Mike and Jonathan all gave him looks like he was crazy, but Mirror Jonathan just nodded, and turned the car hard around a bend, then sped down the road, flying toward the wall that defined the outside of Mirror Hawkins.


	23. The Heart

_Lucas_

 “Mike! Will!” Lucas whispered, turning the dial on his radio. He knew he had to keep quiet. But the fact that they had stopped responding wasn’t giving him a lot of confidence.

“Enough Lucas. This way! Come on!” Steve said, holding up his bat and extending the spikes. This seemed to be for show, as he had done it three times already, and they hadn't run into any demidogs or vines that were threatening them. Steve twirled the weapon, then paused and turned to Billy, who lifted up a map and illuminated it with a flashlight. Steve nodded at him, then started down the right tunnel at a fork. Lucas supposed he was glad there wasn't any trouble on this route yet, though his friends silence and the occasional dramatic ground shaking was stressing the boy out, somewhat. It was possible that this was just normal for evil, upside-down mirror universe tunnels.

“Are you alright?” Mirror Lucas asked. Lucas glanced at him, then nodded and cleared his throat.

“Yeah…I’m just…worried about my friends. And…I could die here…”

“Shut up Lucas, don’t say that…” Dustin muttered. Lucas sighed then put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“It’s true. So I’m trying to accept that. I’m…just sorry I’ll never see Max again…”

“That’s what you’re sorry for?”

“Well, I’m going to be smelling you for the last moments of my life, so I guess I’m sorry for that…” There was the sound of a rumble, like something was tearing up earth somewhere in the distance. Their group stopped and looked up for a few moments, then Steve took Billy's his flashlight and pointed it back to the map.

“We’re almost there. We follow this tunnel and we’ll be right under my house. I’m going to blow up my own, god-damn house…”

“I hope your mirror parents aren’t in it…” Lucas said.

“Steve—my Steve—warned them…though...they are really here in Hawkins...” Billy offered. Steve rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I guess they have that in common then. In addition to being complete assholes. Alright let's finish this..." Steve, leading Billy and the boys, started down the last tunnel path. It was a long walk, and Lucas kept thinking he saw something like rats or mice moving around the roof and sides. But, eventually, they arrived at the center. Again. Lucas recalled it well, a large central circle of dirt, surrounding a crisscrossing mess of vines around a single small ball of light. It was like the glowing mushrooms Lucas had seen on _Wild Kingdom_. But, this thing was actually blinking, going from very bright to almost dark. And that blinking was increasing in speed. Lucas suddenly felt incredibly cold, and tried not to think to much about the thing as Steve took the tank of flamethrower gas from Billy and held it out to Lucas.

“Okay, so, you take this and drench the area. Billy and I will set up the mines.”

“But, I want to set up the mines...” Lucas muttered.

“No. You drench the place…” Steve ordered. He grabbed the packs the Dustins had been carrying and started to take out the explosives. Billy had to show him twice how to make it work, but Steve eventually got the device set well enough to start to plant it.

The tank of gas was really heavy, and even switching off with Mirror Lucas and Dustin, Lucas was panting heavily once they finally emptied the tank. By that time, Steve and Billy had set most of the explosives, and Billy was looking at and pressing buttons on a remote control.

“Okay, they're ready..."

"Good…let’s get out of here and set this place…” Steve was cut off by something grabbing his leg, tripping the older boy and starting to drag him away.

“Steve!” Lucas yelled, starting after him. Steve had lost his goggles and bandanna and was hitting his head on dirt and rocks as he was dragged away. Lucas raised his flashlight in time to see a Demogorgon was what had grabbed Steve. The thing opened its five part mouth and roared. Lucas hesitated, then opened his wrist rocket and fired at it, launching an exploding projectile into its face. The Demogorgon let out a cry and dropped Steve, but Mirror Lucas smacked down Lucas’s wrist before the black boy could reload.

“No! the gas! We’ll blow up everything here, and us with it!”

“Shit…” Lucas groaned. Billy rushed past him, grabbed Steve by the arms and picked him up, then drew a knife and readied himself. The Demogorgon let out another roar, then turned its attention, from the Lucases, Steve and Billy, and turned instead to the Dustins.

“Motherfucker. It’s Dart again, isn’t it…”

“Dart!” Mirror Dustin cried. The Demogorgon opened its five part mouth and roared loudly, sending spores and saliva everywhere, then jumped to the two boys. Both felt backward, but the Demogorgan grabbed each of them in one powerful, large hand and started racing away. Lucas watched this in shock and felt unable to move until Steve pushed him and pointed.

“Dustin! Dustin just got taken!” Steve said, now wielding his heavy, terrifying looking bat. Steve had the the spikes extended and started to run, with Billy on his tail.

“We’ve got to get them back!” Mirror Lucas cried, rushing up to Lucas and started to follow them. Lucas rushed after them as well, chasing the speeding Demogorgon, but none of them were a match for its fast bounding, and soon, the group had lost the trail.

“Shit…” Steve said, stopping short and looking around him, “Billy, where did they go?”

“I lost them, sir…I’m sorry…” Billy said, looking back and forth. Lucas looked up at the older boys, then at Mirror Lucas, who lowered his eyes.

“Dustin…no…” Mirror Lucas muttered, “No…after they used you to test the agonizer, I promised I’d protect you. I promised…but I…I couldn’t…” Lucas felt a doomed hopelessness building in his chest as well, when his radio began to make loud static. He grabbed it from his pack’s pocket, and thinking it would be an update, he tuned it to Will and Mike’s frequencies. But neither of them answered.

“Will?” Lucas called, then adjusted it, “Mike? Mike, Will are either of you…” Lucas still heard the static of someone was calling him, and then quickly changed the frequency.

“Dustin?”

“Lucas! You there?”

“Dustin, are you okay?”

“Yeah, Dart’s got like a crazy set up here. He’s been storing a lot of Nugget here, along with some stuff from Dustin’s room. It’s…weird actually…” Steve moved to Lucas, snatched the radio from him and turned up the volume as loud as he could.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know, I think you lost us about three turns back. But…what? You can talk to him?” There was the sound of static, then Dustin’s voice returned, “Yeah, I had a Dart in my world. That didn’t mean I was close enough friends with him to…what? How? No, stop…ahh!” there was a loud rumble and a lot of noise building next to where the four of them stood, then, the Demogorgon reappeared. It let out a great cry and raised its arms as if to attack. But Lucas saw that both Dustins were on the creatures back. Like they were riding it.

“No! Dart no!” Mirror Dustin ordered. Dart roared again, then snapped its five part mouth several times at Steve and Lucas in particular.

“Huh…maybe it knows you don’t belong…”

“Or maybe its mad I shot it..." Lucas said, stumbling behind Steve, "Dustin, what are you doing? How are you…”

“I don’t know, and I’m not trying to ask too many questions…” Dustin said, then looked at his counterpart, “Hey, you said you could get us out…”

“Oh right, Dart, dig, up!” Mirror Dustin said, raising his arms. Dart let out another loud cry, then jumped up onto the tunnel roof and started to dig, sending dirt and mud down. Eventually, daylight was visible, and the Demogorgon opened enough room for the Dustins to go through. Dart remained in the dark of the tunnel though, and started to slink away.

“That…was pretty good…” Lucas said, looking up at the now open path for them to the surface. Mirror Dustin looked down at him and smiled, but Dustin hit his arm and pointed.

“Ow, you hit me…”

“You idiot. Our friends!”

“Oh, yeah, Dart! We need them!” Dart let out a terrifying cry, but Mirror Dustin just clicked his tongue.

“No, Dart. Don’t eat them. Bring them up here!” Dart roared again, then dropped down to the ground and moved toward Lucas. He started to back up more, but Dart was on him and flinging him up through the open hole. He torpedoed up onto the surface and crashed roughly into what appeared to be the edge of woods. After a moment, Mirror Lucas was flung him and crashed onto Lucas. Then Steve flew up with a loud yell, then Billy followed, crashing into a big pile on top of Lucas. He pushed the three off of him, and looked up to see that they were up the street from Steve’s house. Just close enough to see, but far enough that Billy pulled out his remote control and handed it to his master’s counterpart.

“Sir…”

“Thanks…here we go…” Steve said, then took the remote control and watching his mirror house, sighed and then pressed the button hard, and watched as the ground, some of the woods and all of his house exploded in a ball of flame, dirt and ash.


	24. The Gate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of a surprise in this one. Hope you enjoy! Kudos and comments always welcome!

_Nancy_

“Your Mike, Will and Lord Byers are driving somewhere, pursued by something…bad…” Eight said, her eyes covered by a blindfold. Nancy could see a small bit of blood sliding down from her nose.

"Bad?"

“They are yelling…about a store…and fireworks…but they have not been caught...” Nancy sighed. At least Mike, Jonathan and Will weren't dead...yet.

“What about Steve? And the others…” Nancy asked. She tried her best not to sound desperate. But, then again, it was a pretty desperate situation. Eight titled her head slightly, then took a deep breath and held out a hand.

“They…are with...a…Demogorgon…” Eight muttered.

“What? Are they okay…are they…” Nancy asked.

“The Demogorgon…helped them…they...” Eight trailed off, sounded strained, like whatever she was looking at was hard to see.

“Helped…what do you mean helped?” Nancy demanded. But, before the girl could answer, there was the sound of something exploding. Nancy felt a rumble through her body and then she could see in the distance as ash and smoke was starting to rise up in the sky.

“The Mind-flayer…is burning. The thing chasing Lord Byers and the others, its burning…” Eight said.

“Then they’ve done their part, let’s close the gate and get this over with…” Mirror Nancy, who had been standing watch over the two, pulled Nancy to her feet, then waved at Eight. The small girl removed the cloth from her eyes and lifted herself up to her feet. Mirror Nancy turned from her, and started toward the house, the backwoods, abandoned-looking home of the Byers. Joyce, Will and Jonathan's house. Where Nancy had spent many a night. Before…the break up. And the Mirror Universe stuff. Nancy moved to try to keep up with Mirror Nancy, but Eight floated to her side and raised a hand.

“I can still…feel your Will. He is….somehow accessible…”

“What do you mean?”

“I…don’t know. But…he seems…aware. Able to sense me as well. And…see things about this world and his…”

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t affect the mission…” Mirror Nancy ordered. She drew her laser pistols, then kicked down the door of the house. Nancy, holding her own laser pistol, followed the girl in slowly. It was…almost exactly as she remembered it. Same rug, same tiny kitchen, same couch. Nancy looked over the home again, memories of sitting at the table, of holding Jonathan’s hand on the porch and being with him in his bed. Of course, that would never be the same now, right? Since she and Steve and Jonathan had…

“Okay, Eight, do you sense the gate?” Eight closed her eyes, then pointed. Beyond the house…to the shed in the back.

“There…”

“Alright, let’s go…” Mirror Nancy kicked down the back door and started out into the woods. Nancy followed, holding her gun tightly, then she stopped short. In front of her, Nancy could see that the shed was actually glowing. As in, there was a thin strip of red and orange light blinking from around the edges of the door.

“Good grief. Are we…did nobody really see this before?”

“People aren’t aloud out of the downtown at night. And since Joyce ran out her husband, this home has been abandoned…”

“Okay then…” Nancy muttered. She cleared her throat, then held up her gun. Mirror Nancy held up hers, then Eight raised a hand, a new  trickle of blood slipping down her nose.

“The door…is sealed…”

“What?” Mirror Nancy grumbled, holstering a gun and moving to the shed door. She gripped the handle, but it didn’t seem to give to her tugs.

“Okay, step back!” Mirror Nancy grumbled, raising a laser gun to the handle.

“Wait! Stop!” a voice yelled. Mirror Nancy turned back, and Nancy followed her gaze to see Steve approaching. Steve, wearing his stupid Mirror World outfit. But it was her Steve, he didn’t have a scar and looked grumpy and didn’t sound conceited when he spoke, “I think I might be able to get it open. Billy gave me a crowbar…”

“That’s your bright idea? Besides, what are you doing here? Where are the others?” Mirror Nancy demanded.

“I told Billy to take them back to Hawkins. When I finally got radio contact back with Joyce, she said there was some big flesh monster stomping around, chasing my Will, Mike, and Jonathan and your versions too..”

“I sense him. Will has escaped from it…he’s at Melvard’s. The store, grabbing a lot of…fireworks…” Eight muttered. Mirror Nancy snapped at the small girl, then pointed.

“Enough. Steve…Alternative Steve…” Mirror Nancy grunted, looking him over, “Come, open this door then…”

“Okay…” Steve drew a crowbar from the pack he was carrying, and moved to the shed door. The glowing light seemed to start to pulse at a higher rate as Steve raised the device. Nancy didn’t see how this thing would work any better then Eight using her power to open the door, until Steve pressed a button on it, and caused something like an evil ax head to slide out of the side.

“I know Nancy. Billy just had this with him…” Steve muttered, rolling his eyes. His face slipped into a smile as he looked her over, then he turned and started to hack at the door. Whatever was holding the door in place was not keeping the wood together, and pretty soon, Steve had opened a pretty wide gap. Nancy was impressed with the boy. The Mirror Universe was having a lot of bad effects on them, but in this instance, Steve sure was a lot more clever than she’d expect.

“After you…” Steve said, holding out a hand to Mirror Nancy who gave him one last dark look before raising her guns. Eight followed her, floating through the hole, then Steve stepped through, leaving Nancy out in the woods. Typical Steve…

“Nancy, are you coming?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, I got it…” Nancy stepped through the door, and was suddenly at the threshold of something that didn’t really make sense. It was like the shed door opened up to a huge earthen ramp, that led down, deep into the ground. Nancy could see it was in some ways like a tunnel, but, it was less of the shape they’d dealt with and more round and uniform. Like it was a human creation. Like people had made it.

“Come on Nance, keep up!” Steve called. Nancy turned her attention back to the increasingly bright, glowing light that was ahead of her, and followed her counterpart, Eight and her Steve to the bottom of the ramp. They all stopped there, as they were looking up at an enormous tear. A rip in the earth in front of them, glowing yellow and surrounded by a red and orange lights. Black vines spreading out from the opening, and it seemed to be almost pulsing, as the vines jerked and the lights flashed in normal intervals. The tear was huge, much bigger than the four of them standing shoulder to shoulder, and, it went way down into the ground. In fact, Nancy could only barely see where the tear ended.

“Will…Will is going to do something…bold…” Eight said.

“For the last time, I don’t want updates about Alternative Will!” Mirror Nancy spat, then turned a gun to the large rip, “This is the gate right? Close it. And get this over with…” Nancy looked up at the opening, then turned to the girl, who held up her hands. She began to grunt and groan, then, some of the vines actually began to break and shift. This was followed by a loud whine. A horrible tone that rang out from the gate.

“Here they come…” Mirror Nancy muttered.

“Steve…do you…”

“I brought my bat…” Steve said, drawing the spiked weapon from his pack. He twirled it, but…was holding it strangely. Like, over his shoulder, but too dramatically, too high, like he was winding up a really serious swing. Nancy didn’t try to think about it too much though, as she heard a growl, and saw a tunnel started to open near her, the head of a Demidog starting to stick out.

“Kill it! Protect Eight!” Mirror Nancy ordered. She took aim and shot the creature, causing it to tear apart and leaving a mess of plant goo and ripped parts in its wake. It only took a moment more before the earth around them was starting to erupt with various Demidog heads. Nancy started fire as best she could, and could see Steve hitting dogs as their heads appeared, and even knocking a few into either of the Nancy’s lasers. It was an efficient system, and they were keeping Eight safe. Except, something wasn’t working. Eight was groaning and straining, but the gate was only closing a little bit.

“It’s…too…strong…”

“It’s been open too long!” Steve muttered, hitting a demidog into the ground giving it another whack, “If Mirror Steve hadn't stupidly killed Mike, we might have…”

“Now is not the time!” Mirror Nancy cried, turning her gun quickly and taking out three Demidogs in a row, “Eight, what can we do? How can we…” then, the gate let out another whine. Something that sounded, almost pained.

“Will…” Eight muttered, blinking a few times and trying to keep her hands in place, “He’s doing this…”

“What do you mean?” Mirror Nancy asked. Eight glanced at her, then moved one of her arms to touch the woman’s back. And Nancy could see it. She didn’t know why or how, but she could see Will running forward to the edge of Hawkin’s town hall, holding a firework in his hand. He turned down to see some sort of flesh monster, a creature that looked somewhat like the Mind-flayer Will had drawn, though it had a mouth and teeth and was the color of blood and skin mixed together. It was trying to climb the wall, and a soldier was shooting down into it, but the monster swung an arm out, which fired a vine like shape and stabbed the man through the head. It flung him aside, but Will was ready, throwing the firework down into the creature’s face with all his might. It sailed through the air, then exploded in blue light and sparks on the back of the monster, causing it to cry out in pain and slip down the wall. Nancy could see Mike jumped up next to him, holding a firework as well, and he flung the thing as hard as he could as well, which was way off target and just smashed into a patch of dirt in a green and yellow light. However, Jonathan and Mirror Jonathan were more accurate, bringing fireworks to throw at the thing as well, causing bursts of blue, purple and red on the monster’s back. Finally, Mirror Will appeared at the wall, but, instead of a firework, he had two grenades. He casually pulled the pins of off them, then flung both, causing two enormous explosions and blowing up a chunk of the monster’s side and one of its arms. Then, Nancy was back, in front of the gate, looking up at Eight and Mirror Nancy.

“How could…I see that…”

“There were fail-safes put in Eight, that at certain times, whoever controls her can see what she sees for a time. And I suppose, since you’re me…”

“You can see it too? Wow. I wonder if El has…that power…” Steve asked. Nancy glanced at him, then Mirror Nancy clicked her tongue at him.

“Stay focused. If Will is blowing the thing apart, we might have a chance…Eight, close the gate!”

“I am trying…but it is still very hard…” Eight murmured, “He is so strong…”

“Close it Eight!” Mirror Nancy yelled. Eight started to yell, flinging her hands out. Blood was now spilling out from her nose and she seemed to be straining incredibly hard. The gate started to rumble and shrink somewhat, but there was a loud roar, then more Demidogs started to burst from the ground, and the vines around the gate started to stretch and expand out toward the four of them. Mirror Nancy started shooting the monsters, and Nancy tried to help her, but Steve moved behind Nancy and turned to Eight.

“El! I mean, Eight!” Steve yelled, dropping his bat and holding his hands out, “Close your eyes…and feel your power…” Steve put his hands around the girl’s head, covering her eyes and starting to cover her ears too, “Concentrate on your power. Close out everything else…just on your power…” Nancy watched him in confusion. He’d never done anything like that with El before. But…maybe he’d heard from Hopper. Or from Dustin or Lucas telling him something.

“Concentrate…” Steve said, “Concentrate…” Eight started to breath slowly, then flung her hands out again, and then let out a cry of increasing volume. There was a shudder around the whole cavern. Nancy tried to shoot two more Demidogs, then looked back to see Eight’s hands coming together, and beyond, the gate closing. There was a final long, loud roar from beyond that gate, then, Eight matched the cry, and the gate shut in a loud, dramatic burst of energy. All four of them were thrown onto their backs, and Nancy only looked up in time to see the vines, and all the Demidogs around them, collapse into dead, lifeless heaps.

“It’s…over…” Nancy whispered. It was over. Really over. They'd done it. They'd beaten the Mind-flayer, in their world and in the Mirror Universe. And now...

“We did it! We won!” Steve said, standing up and pumping his arms in the air. He smiled at Nancy, and she suddenly felt it. Love. She was in love with Steve. She still loved Jonathan, but she felt it. He was so brave, so dedicated to her, and that move…to help El…or Eight…was ingenious. Which was out of Steve’s normal purview…but…

“We did do it…” Nancy said, letting Steve help her stand up, “We beat the Mind-flayer. And now, your opposite will let us go home…” Steve smiled again and nodded, then Nancy heard the loud burst of a gun. A laser gun. It was so unexpected, that it took Nancy’s mind several seconds to register what was happening. At first, she thought she must have fired the gun by accident, but that didn’t make sense, she’d dropped it on the ground. Then, she thought she was shot, because there was blood on her shirt, especially on her chest and stomach. It was only when Steve slumped into her that she understood. He had been shot. By the only person with a gun. Nancy turned back to her counterpart, who held her weapon up, a cold, sinister smile on her face.

“Wha…wha…Steve. Steve, no! Steve! Steve…this can’t…St…” Nancy started to murmur, then she felt tears welling up in her eyes. But, Mirror Nancy had no sympathy for her, shoving the girl aside and grabbing the boy roughly by the collar.

“Clever, Steve. Hiding the scar…using their terms…you planned to replace their Steve, hmm? Leave him somewhere to die while you returned to their world to live your life as a soft thing? Abandoning me and Jonathan…” Steve spat blood, then looked up at Mirror Nancy in the eye. It took Nancy a few moments to understand what her counterpart was saying, but as the smile slipped onto his face, the somewhat evil, almost erotic thing, she knew. That wasn’t her Steve. It was Mirror Steve. But…

“Jonathan and I…would have gone. We had a plan…” Mirror Steve spat blood again, then coughed hard, “If we thought…you would come…we would have asked you…you belong here…” Nancy now understood, sort’ve. Mirror Steve and Mirror Jonathan were going to try to replace their counterparts. But…Mirror Nancy caught them, so…

“Hmm…I can’t deny that you know me…” Mirror Nancy said, “You’re right…I wouldn’t have gone. I belong here…” Mirror Nancy said, raising her weapon to Mirror Steve’s head, “I was meant to rule this place. Not Hopper, not you. Hawkins will have a Town Lord who knows how to reign!”

“Nancy…I…” Mirror Steve coughed hard again, and Nancy could see life fading from his eyes, “I love you…You and Jonathan…always…”

“It’s bullshit…” Mirror Nancy responded, “Love…is for weaklings…” Mirror Nancy said, then she shot Mirror Steve in the head, and let his body slump back onto the ground. She turned to the fallen Nancy, who started to back away from her in a mix of fear, horror and terror. It wasn’t her Steve. But it really hurt to watch him killed nonetheless. And that Steve had guaranteed their safety. Without him…what would happen?

“I…I’m not a threat!” Nancy tried, holding up her hands. Mirror Steve had slapped and beat up his opposite for talking out of turn. What would happen to her if she…?

“I know. But I need you, my Alternative version…alive. Eight…”

“Yes, mistress…” Eight said. She was coughing up blood as well, but she did not hesitate to raise a hand to the girl. Nancy felt something in her neck pinching hard, then there was a flash of pain before her vision faded to black.


	25. In a Mirror, a Dark World

_Steve_

Steve got out of the van, and started walking up the streets of Hawkins to cheers and yells from soldiers. Victorious soldiers. He was nearly walking arm and arm with Billy and Dustin, he was so happy. They’d done it. They’d beat the Mind-flayer and put that thing right in its place. Everything seemed to have worked, getting the Mind-flayer distracted, blowing up the heart, and apparently, closing the gate. Because everything they passed, every demidog, vine, even that giant fleshy creature blown up by Will and his weaponized fireworks…was dead! They’d done it. And that meant…they could go home.

Of course, going home would be awkward…very, very awkward. He’d been with…with both Nancy and Jonathan. At once. How were they going to move on from that? Would they even? Steve turned his attention to Jonathan, who had a hand around Will and was waving to the supportive crowds. Dustin, Mike and Lucas were pushing and shoving for attention, and Will looked morose, though no more than normal. But, their Mirror Versions seemed…off. Mirror Jonathan had eyes on his counterpart, really watching his every motion and move. Mirror Will was clenching his fist and giving all of those from their universe dark looks. Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin seemed on edge, like something bad was about to go down. And Mirror Joyce was…actually, she looked like she could kill somebody, which was normal, Steve supposed. But it didn’t matter. Because they had done it again. The Mind-flayer was no match for…

“Where is you opposite?” Dustin asked, grabbing Steve’s arm. Steve glanced at him, then back at the town hall, now right in front of them. Mirror Barbara, Mirror Ted Wheeler, and that girl from the Starcourt, Robin, were standing on the steps. But no Mirror Steve. Billy seemed confused too, putting out a hand and walking up to the three girls.

“What’s going on?” Billy asked. Barbara shrugged, but Robin cleared her throat and pointed inside.

“Steve…my Steve is here. No worries. He’ll be there soon. Why don’t all of you come in and relax for a few moments? As reward for your victory, I’ve been instructed to lead Alternative Steve and Jonathan to new rooms…”

“Oh god, something else…” Steve muttered.

“We can’t get away from this…” Jonathan agreed, but Mirror Jonathan moved forward quickly and held out his arms.

“Of course, my Steve is preparing for meeting with the troops. He’ll be a few moments. You two come with me. I’ll lead you to where you need to go. Billy why don’t you take the younger kids…” before Mirror Jonathan could finish, a military truck came barreling down the main road and slammed on its breaks just before it reached the town hall. Mirror Jonathan stared at it, his eyes wide, then glanced at Steve and Jonathan.

“You two need to get inside, now…”

“What?” Jonathan asked, clearly shocked at the usually shy boy.

“Why?” Steve asked, more irritated than anything, “You got some weird shit you and the other Steve want us to do?” Mirror Jonathan glanced at the two, then his face grew dark and hateful.

“You’re going to ruin everything!” Mirror Jonathan spat, then stomped to the truck, “You weren’t supposed to come yet! The plan isn’t ready! I don’t even have the makeup on!”

“What’s he talking about?” Jonathan asked. Steve shrugged, then looked back at the truck to see Mirror Nancy emerge, then Eight step out. Both were covered in blood, which wasn’t unexpected but was still unsettling. But then, Eight held up her hands and caused the blood covered, unconscious form of Nancy to float out.

“What?” Steve cried.

“Nance!” Jonathan yelled.

“Nancy!” Mike screamed. All three pushed past each other, and eventually Jonathan got there first, grabbing her in his arms and holding her. Steve was soon at his side, and his hands were hovering over her, trying to decide what to do. Jonathan listened for her breath then sighed in relief, which made Steve sigh. Mike seemed to sigh in relief as well, but remained close to his sister as Steve put an arm on the girl.

“What happened?” Steve cried. Eight avoided the older boy’s eyes, but Mirror Nancy gave him a hard look before turning to Mirror Jonathan.

“Where…is…was there…anyone else…” Mirror Nancy grabbed Mirror Jonathan’s throat, and started to choke him.

“Betray me again…and I will kill you just like I did your precious lover…” Mirror Nancy threatened, then threw the boy aside, and drew her laser pistol.

“What’s going on?” Billy asked, walking toward her. Nancy took aim and shot him straight between his eyes. Billy’s head snapped back, then his form fell lifelessly to the ground. She cocked the weapon, then took aim and put another blast in his chest, which only shook his unresponsive body. Steve was unable to move, in disbelief at what she was doing. His eyes flicked to Mirror Jonathan who was actually beginning to cry as he looked up at the girl in horror.

“What the…” Dustin started, then Mirror Lucas quickly grabbed his and their Lucas’s arms and dragged them over to where Mike was now standing in front of Steve. Mirror Will did the same for Will.

“Stay with him…and be quiet!” Mirror Lucas said.

“And don’t do anything stupid!” Mirror Will added, then, he gruffly took the bat from Steve’s back and the Sony gun from Jonathan.

“What’s happening?” Steve challenged, on the verge of snatching his bat back.

“It’s a coup!” Mirror Dustin yelled, dropping down into a ball.

“Quiet, Dustin!” Mirror Lucas called.

“What’s a coup?” Steve asked.

“Steve…I think we should be quiet…” Jonathan said slowly. They looked back to Mirror Nancy as she stepped up to Barbara and her father, who both bowed to her, then looked at Robin, who got down onto her hands and knees on the steps below her.

“I am loyal to you and you alone…”

“No you aren’t. But it’s okay. You’re not ugly. And you know how to make a girl…happy…” Mirror Nancy said. Robin dropped her eyes, then Mirror Nancy turned to the soldiers who were moving to the town hall stairs and getting onto their knees, “Excellent…”

“Your plans were well made, ma’am. The coup went off without a hitch…” Mirror Joyce said as she moved up the steps to the girl and put a fist to her chest.

“Make sure it works. Take your Russians and kill anyone still loyal to Steve…” Mirror Nancy turned to Mirror Will, Mirror Lucas and Mirror Dustin, who were each trying to bow.

“You are very, very lucky Will…” Mirror Nancy said, walking down the steps slowly and putting a hand on his cheek, “You’re mother has got a guarantee to keep both of you alive…”

“I…am loyal to you, my lady…”

“Of course you are…now…” Mirror Nancy watched Joyce leaving with her forces, then grabbed Mirror Will’s chin and brought him roughly upright, “But I haven’t forgot that you killed my brother! You loved him, and you killed him anyway!”

“I…I had no choice…”

“Look…at your counterpart…and tell me you had no choice!” Mirror Nancy yelled, then flung Mirror Will to the ground. Their Will started to stumble back toward Mike, as Mirror Will tried to sit back up, but had Mirror Nancy’s foot on his chest.

“You’ll live…but you’ll pay too…”

“As…you wish…my lady…” Mirror Will muttered.

“We have to leave…now!” Will said, starting to step back further. But soldiers grabbed his arms, and gruffly pulled him away from the group.

“Will!” Mike yelled, rushing to him and getting a rifle butt to the head. Soldiers quickly picked Mike up from the ground, then others grabbed Dustin and Lucas as well, then started to dragged them to a side entrance of the town hall. Mirror Nancy smiled darkly at them, then glanced back to Mirror Barbara, who nodded.

“I’ll take them to prison cells…”

“Not the worst ones…just enough to make them uncomfortable…” Mirror Nancy said, then walked over the genuflecting Robin toward Jonathan, holding Nancy, and Steve, who had a hand on her head and arm.

“I have something I need from you three…” Mirror Nancy said, “And it will be easier for my soldiers to just carry you …” Eight held up a hand, and then Steve’s neck started to hurt. Jonathan’s clearly did too, as he lowered Nancy, then grabbed at his nape. After a moment more, he collapsed onto the girl. Steve dropped to his knees next to them both, then his vision started to fade as he held out a hand to them.

When he awoke, he was in something like a telephone booth. Except, Steve remembered there weren’t telephones in this world, so it wasn’t that. It was a glass box, with a big metal thing over his head and two metal clasps on his arms. He could move, somewhat, and put a foot against the glass, then tried to pull his arms free. Nothing worked, and Steve was starting to feel claustrophobic, though he himself would not have used that word, and began to breath heavily. Was this the prison? He was stuck standing up, unable to move much more than kicking and glancing around. And then, he noticed that he was in a middle cell, and Jonathan was to his right, still slumped forward, unmoving, and Nancy was to his left, tugging against her wrist cuffs as well.

“Nancy!” Steve cried. The girl looked at him, and then tried to turn toward him.

“Steve! Steve, oh no! No! Is that Jonathan?” She yelled. He could, surprisingly, hear her clearly, and turned from her to the younger boy.

“Yeah…it’s him…” Steve said. He kicked against the glass, and called out to him, “Byers! Byers!” Jonathan eventually jerked his head up, and looked around, then started pulling against his clasps as well. Steve looked back at Nancy, who sighed deeply.

“Is this a prison?” Steve asked. Nancy shrugged, then grabbed at the wrist cuffs.

“I don’t know…But we’re going to find a way out of here! We always do! I can see a latch on the door to yours. Try and kick it open!” Steve sighed and started to kick at it, hard, really trying as much as he could. But it wasn’t giving. Then, Jonathan kicked against his glass, and Steve glanced at him.

“These booths aren’t nailed in place, they’re just set in spots and plugged in. You might be able to shake it enough to topple it!” Jonathan said. Steve rolled his eyes, and started to jerk back and forth. He noticed Jonathan trying the same thing, but it wasn’t seeming to have much of an effect. Steve slowed down, and looked at Jonathan, waiting for the next bad plan when he heard the sound of a large door opening. Steve turned to take in the room around them, metallic with a dim red light illuminating it, and a big panel positioned in front of the three booths. Steve didn’t have a good feeling about the panel, nor about Mirror Nancy coming into the room with Robin at her side.

“Well…” Mirror Nancy said, rubbing fingers together and looking almost bored, “Do you like your new accommodations?”

“Let us go! We’re not threats to you!” Nancy yelled.

“We just want to go back to our world!”

“Yeah, we beat the Mind-flayer, so let us go…”

“That was not our agreement. That was the agreement of a traitor who would have abandoned me…though, since he was going to replace you two boys…” Mirror Nancy started pressing buttons and then put her hand on a lever, “I suppose you were meant to die here, anyway…”

“What is…” Steve only got this out before she pushed the lever forward slowly, and suddenly he felt like he was on fire. Or lots of knives were sawing into him. Or…both. Agony coursed through his body, and soon, he could only scream. There was nothing but white hot pain all through him, and he felt like his skin was being cut and fried off at the same time. He thought he was going to die right then, but just as he was on the verge of giving up, the pain stopped and he slumped over. He could see Jonathan panting and handing in his cuffs as well, but there was no evidence of any visible damage to his body. Steve looked down to see there were no burns or cuts on his arms as well. It was almost like…this was just to make him feel pain.

“Stop!” Steve turned to see Nancy yelling and jerking around in her cuffs.

“Oh…you don’t want me to hurt them?” Mirror Nancy asked. She glanced at Robin, then at another man who came into the room. Steve took a few deep breaths and just barely focused enough to recognized his tight collared shirt and vest and thick mustache to see it was the middle school teacher Scott Clarke. Evil Scott Clarke, that is…big scar through his right eye and a certain maniacal tapping of his fingers together.

“This is a very effective torture, as you can see. And it will surely break these children and get you want you want…” Clarke said, smiling, “So…might I expect to have a place in your new administration. I could be of use as a…”

“Oh, I will need you, don’t worry. I plan on opening the portal to their world again…there is something of there I need…”

“Is that what you want, information?” Nancy asked, “Our world isn’t your world, we can’t tell you anything that…”

“No. I don’t need intel on us. I need you to tell me about something else. You have seen Eight, and her powers, which are very useful. But…a more powerful version exists…in your world…” Mirror Nancy snapped at Robin, who moved to the controls of the device, then sauntered over to the booths, “Why is your Eleven so much stronger than my Eight?” Steve glanced at Nancy, then at Jonathan, then looked back at the crazy madwoman in front of him.

“We don’t know anything about that girl!” Steve yelled.

“We weren’t part of her creation. We only found her…” Jonathan added.

 “I…I kept her in my house, but I only gave her clothes to wear in my world. She figured out her own powers. Without any of us…”

“Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I need to know what makes her stronger. I don’t care about where you were when she was created…nor do I care about any excuse you might come up with…” Mirror Nancy clicked her tongue, then looked into Steve’s eyes.

“Give him a little shock…” Mirror Nancy ordered. Robin nodded, then turned a crank, and Steve felt the pain of fire and knives again, tearing him apart. Steve again, could only scream, and tried his best not to piss himself as he felt like he was ripped apart. Then, the pain was released.

“Stop! Stop please!” Nancy yelled.

“Tell me about your little Eleven!”

“I…she was created in experiments in the Hawkins lab!” Nancy yelled.

“She can move things with her mind! It causes her nose to bleed!” Jonathan cried. Mirror Nancy looked at the two, and clicked her tongue, then snapped at Robin, who clicked buttons, then turned the crank. Both Jonathan and Nancy started to scream now, and Steve could see what appeared to be small sparks of red electricity moving up and down their bodies. Steve started to jerk in his booth, yelling.

“We don’t know anything! We’re not scientists, we didn’t make Eleven! We don’t know! Just…stop hurting them, please!”

“Oh Steve…don’t worry. I’ll find out everything I need to know…sometimes, you just have to give a little shock to jog a memory…” Mirror Nancy said, “Robin, make them…uncomfortable…until they are ready to answer my question…” Steve felt the booth start up again, and soon, everything but white hot pain was gone from his mind.


	26. Mike and Will have a Heart to Heart…and a Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been MIA for this story. It will get done, I promise...eventually.
> 
> If you like IT...I'm still doing a fanfic on that story. Link is here.  
>  [**IT, Take Three**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20559146)
> 
> Kudos and Comments are always appreciated!

_Mike_

_Was this how they would go? Starved or tortured to death in a cell?_ Mike wondered for a few moments before he got up and started pacing again. Because this couldn’t be it. He wasn’t going to die here, and neither were any of the boys in the cell with him. Lucas was sitting on one side of the small bench holding his head up with a his hand. Will was in the corner, looking awfully pitiful. And Dustin was just lying on the floor, and was actually making it a little hard for Mike to pace.

“Okay…we just need to try something new…something we haven’t tried…”

“It’s over…” Dustin murmured, breathing deeply, “Crazy, evil Nancy killed crazy, evil Steve. And she’ll kill us too…”

“No…there has to be a way out. There is always a way out!”

“Not this time…” Will muttered, “Our future is gone. I was a fool. I thought the Mind-flayer was causing our future to fade. But it was them! And now…” Will started to sob as he continued, “We’re going to die here…which means we won’t be back in Hawkins when…”

“When the Mind-flayer returns…” Lucas grumbled, “Yeah, you’ve told us already. And so, our world is going to blow up because we aren’t there…because, apparently, we are the only ones who can stop it, yeah, yeah…” he stood up and walked over to Mike, “Look, as much as I hate to agree with the whimpering psychic and this lump here…” Lucas gave Dustin a soft kick to the gut, then looked back at Mike, “I don’t see a good way out of here. Negotiating with Steve was bad…but negotiating with evil Nancy seems impossible. And we’re no match for fighting our way out…”

“Fighting everyone yeah. But, you saw how quick people turned against Steve! We don’t have to beat everyone, we just need to convince enough people to support somebody stronger!”

“Who is stronger than Nancy right now?” Lucas asked. Mike scratched his chin, and that horrible thin scruff that was starting to itch there. And on his crotch. What a way to die, uncomfortably suffering from puberty…

“I…somebody. What about our parents?”

“Your mom’s dead. Your dad is supporting your sister, obviously. I don’t know about my parents, but when I talked to them…they don’t seem like the revolting type…besides that blacks in this world…don’t seem like they can lead towns like this…” Lucas muttered, then shook his head, “Dustin’s mom is crazy and wouldn’t stand a chance. And putting Will’s mom in power would probably be worse…”

“Okay…uh, what about…” before Mike could come up with another idea, the door to the cell opened. Mike at first expected food, or maybe big, gruff men to take one of them to be tortured. But it was instead Mirror Will. His eyes were downcast, and he only glanced up briefly before he turned to the hefty, Russian soldier behind him.

“I just need this Mike for a few minutes…”

“Lady Nancy ordered all four of them to remain in the cell under guard…” the Russian guard outside their door explained to him in a thick, gruff accent.

“Nancy is with my mother now, solidifying power over the town. She’ll be gone for a while…I’ll have him back before she notices…”

“Very well, young Byers…” the Russian muttered, “But…know that even in her position of power…your mother cannot protect you forever…” Mirror Will sighed, then nodded to him in understanding. The Russian then waved gruffly to Mike. And Mike, in turn, glanced back at the other boys. Will and Dustin were sitting up, and Lucas held a hand out to him.

“Hey Mike…we needed somebody…What if…” Lucas started.

“He’s our age! Like, really young. And, he’s really batshit crazy…” Mike said in as loud of a whisper as he could.

“Right…but you could convince him to let us go…” Dustin muttered.

“I…dammit…”

“Mike…it’s okay…” Will said, giving him a small smile, “You do what you have too…I know…you’re still my best friend…”

“Ugh…this best friend shit again…” Dustin grumbled, then dropped to the ground. Lucas kicked him again, then leaned in to Mike’s ear.

“Ask him…nicely! And give him a big smile. And feel free to put your hand on him like this…” Lucas slid a hand down Mike’s arm. Mike jerked away in response.

“Stop!” Mike grunted, then followed Mirror Will out of the room. They started down one of the hallways, then up a set of steps. Mirror Will was silent the whole way as he went, and Mike tired to think about what he might say to get Will to revolt. And be town lord. Both of which sounded like bad ideas. Eventually, Mirror Will led Mike to a door. Which he remembered vaguely from his visits to downtown Hawkins, as a park behind the Town Hall. Mirror Will saluted a Russian guard, then the man opened a door, and let the boy lead Mike into…a graveyard.

Hawkins Central Park, which was behind the Town Hall in their world, was an ominous, horrible looking graveyard in this one, with numerous aged and horrible tombstones filling up the otherwise sprawling green space. Large, fading angels were next to brutal men and women killing or maiming others over numerous names. Mike wondered if he or Will’s ancestors, who were in Hawkins for generations, were among these strange graves, then, Mike saw a section of the graveyard where the tombs were less dramatic. These were mostly large stones, with names and dates on them, similar to their world save for the sharper edges. Mirror Will moved to one of the tombs and then stopped in front of it, staring down at the words. This stone wasn’t particularly notable, just a jagged edged, thick, grey stone. But, as Mike stepped up to it, he understood. He was at the grave, of Mike Wheeler. The other Mike Wheeler. Finally, Mirror Will cleared his throat, and reached out a hand to the stone.

“This…this is him…what’s left…”

“Me…Mirror me…”

“Yes…when Steve took the town, he told me…told me that Mike was revealing secrets…telling the Mind-flayer too much. He told me…that if I didn’t kill him, he would…”

“Then Steve…your Steve…”

“No…you don’t understand…” Mirror Will spat, then looked at Mike, and to his amazement, there were tears in his eyes. And he looked…so much weaker. Like…his Will.

“I…loved him. And I killed him anyway. I thought it was what I had to do. He is mind was nearly gone, and he barely recognized anyone besides his sister and mother…”

“But…he recognized you…” Mike said. Mirror Will nodded, then cleared his throat.

“You know what my Mike said when he recognized me?” Mirror Will asked, his voice beginning to break.

“‘That’s my friend…’” Mike said. He knew exactly what was said, because his Will had said to him. Mirror Will eyed him, then looked away.

“Yes, that’s what he said. ‘That’s my friend…’” Mirror Will started, his voice faltering, “’And I want to always remember you…so don’t let it take that from me…’” Mike froze, feeling a lump growing in his throat.

“I…he…”

“He said that. He asked for that…And I…” Mirror Will shut his eyes, now shaking his head, tearing slipping down his face, “I cut his throat…so that he never forgot me.” Mike just stared at this Will for a long time. He didn’t really know what to say. Or what to think. If Will…had told him to kill him, had begged Mike to kill him…Mike looked back at his mirror’s tomb, and struggled to think of anything to say.

“When Mike died…I thought…I would never see him again. I thought the last thing I would say to him was okay, then cut his throat. But…now…you’re here. And I…I see now…I didn’t have to kill him…”

“You…you didn’t know…” Mike said, struggling to comfort him. But it didn’t seem to work, as Mirror Will shot a glare back at Mike.

“No. I should have refused. I should have tried to help him. And if I had…Mike would still be alive. I…I’m sorry…I know you aren’t him…but I’m sorry…and I swear…I will not let another Mike die in this world…” Mirror Will said gruffly, wiping his face with a sleeve and putting a hand on the tomb, “I will not let him die. I swear…”

“You…you won’t…” Mike started, then, he saw that he might have an opening there, “I think…you could make sure of it…” Mirror Will looked slowly up at him.

“What are you thinking?”

“I…well…if you were making the rules…if you…overthrew…” Mike began, then trailed off. It sounded so stupid when he said it. Will. An evil version of him. Ruling Hawkins. After having a breakdown over the death of the evil version of himself. Then again…he supposed evil versions of Steve and Nancy ruling Hawkins sounded pretty stupid too.

“No…Mike…” Mirror Will turned to Mike and crossed his arms, “I can’t rule. I have no legitimacy. I’m hot-headed, rash, and violent, but not violent enough. I don’t have supporters and there is no reason for anyone to back me…”

“But…” Mike sighed, and looked back at the grave. He might have one here too at this rate, “We…you said…that you’d protect…”

“Listen…” Mirror Will began, “Our Nancy will never let you leave. I’m sure of that…which means, you have the right idea…we have to get her out of power…but, you’re asking the wrong Byers…”

“But…your mother…is crazy…”

“Not my mother either…you won’t get home if Hawkins goes to war with Fort Wayne or Indianapolis…”

“Jesus Christ, this world is a fucking mess…” Mike said, running his hands through his hair, “Okay, so what then? If not you, or your mother…”

“It’s not the ideal option. But, he has the legitimacy of being the consort of both of the last two rulers of Hawkins. He’s soft spoken, but can be firm, which means he can gather people to his side. And, he will let you leave. That I know for sure…”

“Jonathan…your Jonathan…”

“That weak, fucking, fool…”

“But…what how could we possibly get him to power?”

“By giving him Nancy’s strongest weapon. Not her pistols, or her father’s men. Not even the support of my mother. Nancy has the tool that has ruled Hawkins for nearly five years…”

“El…or Eight, I guess. Okay. And, we have Eight go with Jonathan by…”

“By having you lead her. When I tortured…your Jonathan, I found out about you and her. The feelings you have for her…and the feelings she has for you…”

“I…yes. I care about El. A lot. Like, a lot a lot.”

“I know. You think of her just like I think of you…and just like your Will thinks of you…”

“I…what?”

“One day…you and he will have to come to terms with it. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters now is that you and El’s connection should be flaring up…” Mirror Will looked up at the window over the graveyard as he continued, “Mr. Clarke explained a theory to me. That the emotional relationships that existed in our separate worlds are now merging into messy, cross universe connections. Thus, my…deep desire for you. And my Nancy’s desire for your Steve and Jonathan…”

“Oh god, I don’t want to hear that…”

“We’re not supposed to know. But…Jonathan, my Jonathan can tell. I always hated my brother. That pathetic sibling of mine. But now…he’s the only hope any of us have…” Mirror Will remained fixed on the window as he spoke. Mike finally looked up to see Mirror Jonathan there. He glanced up to the hallway ahead of him, then back down to Mirror Will.

“Okay…well, then what should I do…for Eight?”

“She is beginning to have feelings for you. And that means she will swoon over you, enough so that it will give me, Lucas and Dustin time to change her…”

“But, isn’t she like…bound--or something--to Nancy?”

“And we need to move that bind to Jonathan. And if you give me the chance…” Mirror Will sighed, then crossed his arms, “I think I can change who she is bound too. Lucas thought there might be a way. Normally, it transfers to whoever defeats or kills the previous owner, but Mr. Clarke, who has been experimenting with  electrical-chemical torture, believes that with the right signal and shock...we can change who she's bound to...I don’t understand it, really…but Mr. Clarke and Lucas had been experimenting with agony-booth technology on a way to adjust those instincts…”

“What? What are you going to do…?”

“Mr. Clarke has an experimental handheld version of the agonizer..." Mirror Will revealed a small triangular metallic device, painted with a dark red color. Mike swallowed at the device he recognized as being nearly an exact copy of the tool on Star Trek, "We can modify the Eight's bind if we tune this to the right frequency. And keep her distracted long enough to hit her with it…”

“No! I'm not doing that!  I’m not helping you hurt El…Eight..."

"The other option is to put her in the booths, which..."

"I'm not doing!"

"Well, we can't now...They are occupied. By your sister and the older boys…”

“What! Nancy!” Mike spat. Mirror Will raised a finger to him, telling him to be silent.

“So…” Mirror Will continued, drawing the agonizer from his side, “If I hit Eight with this...she switches sides, and we free your sister and friends...or we wait until one of them is tortured into a vegetable, then..." Mirror Will trailed off, and waited for Mike to come to terms with it. And Mike hated what he was going to have to do.

“I…This plan sounds both bad and horrific…but...I guess...if it frees Nancy, Jonathan and Steve...”

“It's the nature of this universe...which, by the way, yours sounds pathetic and boring…”

“A few days ago I would have said you were wrong…” Mike muttered, “What are we doing then?”

“Eight is in her chambers. Jonathan will have guards escort you there. Keep her distracted and move her to far door of her room. Lucas and I will hit her from there..”

“Okay…and you promise…we’ll go home…”

“I swear it…on my best friend’s grave…” Mirror Will said, turning back one more time to Mike Wheeler's tombstone.

*****

“Here…” A gruff large, Russian man said, opening the door to a sparsely furnished room.

“Thanks…” Mike said, stepping into the girl’s home. Which was basically an empty room. Just the tacky wall-paper that was all around the Town Hall and a cot. And a mirror. A big, full length one. Eight was sitting cross-legged on the floor, in her signature white medical gown, gazing up at her reflection. Mike looked at the girl, at the mirror, then took another careful step, “Eight…it’s…”

“Mike…” Eight said slowly. She levitated herself up, coming to a standing position, then turned around to the boy. Mike was struck by the similarities between this girl and when he first met his El. He tired to use this, and imagined he was talking to that girl again.

“I…I wanted to talk to you…about my feelings. And you…”

“Me?” Eight asked, cocking her head and staring at him. _Just like El used to do…_

“Yeah…I…I think…you’re attractive…and…I like you…” Mike struggled out. _Dammit! I was so smooth with my El. Wasn’t I?_

“Attractive? What is…”

“I…It means you’re cute. And I want to…spend time with you. Because I like you…” Eight stared hard at him for a long time. So long, that Mike wondered if she was trying to read his mind. Then she cocked her head again.

“What is cute?”

“Ugh…What did I tell my Eight? I mean El. I mean…Look. I’m trying to say, I want to…you know…be with you. Talk to you. Hold hands. Kiss…”

“Kiss…” Eight raised an eyebrow, then lowered her head, “No. You don’t. With me. No one kisses. Or holds hands. I am weapon. Only thing that matters…”

“No. Eight. I am…I want…to…” Mike struggled, then was about to throw up his hands and walk out when Eight raised her head, stared at him, then thrust out a hand. Mike felt gravity start to change, and in a moment, was floating a few inches into the air.

“Eight…I…”

“You like? Even though…I hurt?” Eight asked. Mike started to wave his hands, trying to keep upright, then held them out to her.

“I…yes! Of course I do!” Mike yelled, trying to think of this as El again. And really hoping to be put down. Eight, instead, waved Mike toward her. He flew forward, across the empty room, and was inches from her face after a moment.

“Then…Kiss…” Eight said, closing her eyes and sticking her head out. Mike looked down to see he was still floating, but he supposed there wouldn’t be another way. He had to save his sister. And her friends. And his friends. He’d do it for them. And…because…he really actually did want to kiss this girl.

“Kiss…” Eight said again, this time almost a whisper. Mike breathed deeply, then tried to lean forward, and felt himself rotating in the air. Then, his lips met hers. Eight didn’t move her mouth, or her face at all in response, but Mike tried to make it work anyway, tilting his head and pressing his lips to hers. Then, he drew back, and was back on the ground. He’d did it. And now, Eight opened her eyes, and smiled at him.

“You…like…”

“Yes. I do. I am in love with every version of you…” Mike said. Which he felt was probably a mistake. And it clearly was, as Eight’s eyes grew wide, and her mouth became a scowl.

“Every version. You love…other. Not me…”

“No…I didn’t mean it like that! I just…loved her first…wait, no!” Mike yelled. Eight’s eyes grew colder, and she pushed out her hand, flinging him against the door he entered from.

“You…love her more…than you love me. I am…other…to you…”

“I…no…I…” Mike struggled, trying to think. Then, Eight took a few steps back. To the side of her cot. And the far door of her room, “Eight…I’m really sorry…”

“No! You don’t want to be hurt!” Eight said. Then, the far door burst open, and Mirror Will and Mirror Lucas rushed into the room. Mirror Will had the agonizer in hand, and Mirror Lucas held up his wrist rocket. But, they were too slow. Eight was just barely too far away, and she flung out a hand just in time to freeze both Mirror Will and Mirror Lucas. The agonizer was in the bigger boy’s hand, just about a few inches from the girl, and she frowned darkly at him, then at Mike.

“You…going to hurt me. No love at all…”

“No…I didn’t…I do…love. I just…want to free you…from Nancy…” Mike started, then, he dropped his head. He was a bad person. He’d turned evil in this place. Because he really had been trying to manipulate her feelings to hurt her. Then have Mirror Will pass her off like she was just a thing…not a person. And even if the plan had worked, it would have been a terrible thing to do. Now that it had failed…it was just a disaster, “I’m sorry…that was wrong…and I’m sorry. You can do whatever you want to me. Don’t hurt my friends, please…”

“I will do as my mistress comma…” Eight couldn’t finish this word, as her hands were suddenly jerked around her. As if something else was grabbing and shaking them. Eight started to try and pull her arms back, but it was as if they’d been grabbed, and she was totally under their control.

“No…no!” Eight yelled, fighting against whatever force was pulling her. This eventually freed Mirror Will and Mirror Lucas, who both fell to the ground, and Mike, who was dropped roughly onto the floor. All three boys sat up to see the girl straining and flailing, and Mike jumped to his feet and rushed to Mirror Will’s side.

“What’s happening?” Mirror Will demanded, “I need to bind her to Jonathan!”

“That signal will do it! Mr. Clarke double-checked it!” Lucas said, “He’s on our side. He doesn’t trust Nancy to keep him employed…”

“Wait…we can’t do that to her! She doesn’t deserve to be hurt…because…” Mike looked at her, and was about to profess his love, when her arms were suddenly jerked to face the full length mirror of the room. And he trailed off. Because there was a possibility that the Mind-flayer was there, pulling Eight to the mirror, and fighting his way back. And the last thing they needed was that monster to return there…

“Do something!” Mirror Lucas yelled. Mirror Will raised the agonizer, and started to press buttons on it.

“If I shock her hard enough, she might be too weak to let that creature back into our world!”

“No!” Mike yelled, slapping the agonizer away. Mirror Will gruffly grabbed him and was about to give him…something. A slap or a punch. But then, the mirror exploded with glass shards, which flew out from the frame and filled the room with their shining, twirling pieces. Mike turned to see the mirror had become a portal. He watched, expecting the giant flesh version of the Mine-flayer or a set of vines to burst through. But, instead, a young girl floated through. A young girl in jeans and a small, blue blouse, with her hands up and out, her brown hair flowing behind her, and a small trickle of blood slipping down her nose.

“El…” Mike could only utter. Because the girl floating in the portal of the mirror, was his El. His version. His love. His heart swelled as he saw her, and he was about to cheer or jump into her arms. But then, a red-headed girl jumped out of the portal too, a pistol in her small hands. Mike turned to her, and stared at her in disbelief, then behind her came an angry looking, strong woman holding a shotgun. Then, finally, a heavyset, mustached police officer armed with his own shotgun came through the mirror as well. Mike could barely believe his eyes as the glass closed back in place behind him. El was floating there, with Max, Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper all standing underneath her, all armed, and all from their world.

“El…” Mike uttered again. El smiled at him, then flung out a hand, which sent Eight flying back into the wall of her room. She flung out another hand, and Mirror Will and Mirror Lucas went flying back too, and then she levitated down to Mike, and threw her arms around him.

“You came…through the portal…for me…” Mike uttered.

“I would always come for you…I love...you.”

"I love you too, El..."


End file.
